


That Damn Cowgirl

by Vthryl



Series: Vthryl's World [2]
Category: Vthryl
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:48:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 25,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29699415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vthryl/pseuds/Vthryl
Summary: Needing to leave her situation, Lexi Walsh fled New York in search of a new place to call home. After snaking her way across America for months, her car broke down in Small Town Fucking Nowhere Kansas and now she finds herself in a new situation. With a few options laid out in front of her, she must now choose what to do next, but has a certain cowgirl already made that choice for her?
Series: Vthryl's World [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2182611





	1. Chapter 1

As much as it pained me to leave everything behind, I had no choice. Things with my now ex-boyfriend had gone too far, so I packed as many of my belongings as I could fit into my car and left. I told no one where I was going, I didn't even know myself. Escaping while he was at work, I swapped out my car at a small family dealership, bought a new sim card, and disabled all my social media accounts.

I had spent the last month and a half driving, snaking my way across America. I'd stop in large cities, drive around, seeing what I could see. I'd stop in small towns, have a meal at a local diner, and take a stroll down the main street. I would see if these places could be my new fresh start, but so far none had called to me. Instead, I'd move on, driving on and on, stopping every now and then to take pictures.

It wasn't until I was somewhere in Kansas, that my engine gave a disheartening groan followed by a puff of steam and gurgling noise. I urged my car on but it gave one last whine before shuttering to a complete stop, the dash lights also giving one last flicker before dying. I thumped my head against the steering wheel, releasing a whine of my own. 

Rummaging through my purse in search of my phone, I pressed the power button only for a low battery icon to flash on the screen. I groaned as realization hit me like a truck. I had lost my charger yesterday, probably leaving it at one of the diners or cafes I stopped at, and had yet to replace it. I returned to thumping my head against the steering wheel.

_Maybe there’s an emergency phone nearby or perhaps a house where I could make a call?_

Grabbing my purse, I stepped from the car only to be hit by a wall of heat. Dressed in heavy jeans, a cropped long sleeve shirt, and converse, I knew I wasn't dressed for this weather. Scanning the horizon with shielded eyes, I saw nothing but fields of grain on either side of the road. Golden waves stretching as far as the eye could see.

As I reached back into the car and fumbled around in the glove box for my sunglasses, I heard what seemed to be an approaching rumbling in the distance. Finally getting a hold of my prize, I climbed back out and turned to investigate. In the direction I had came, a figure sped down the road on a red ATV, a cloud of dust trailing behind them. 

As the vehicle got closer it began to slow, coming to a stop feet in front of me. On it sat a woman with long, windblown brown hair and suntanned skin, her eyes hidden behind her own pair of sunglasses. She wore faded blue jeans that tucked into a pair of worn cowboy boots and a tight-fitting white tank top that was covered by a large open red flannel, the sleeves rolled up revealing a pair of strong forearms. She offered a friendly smile as she swung a leg over the seat.

"You need some help there, girly?"

Hesitant, I took a step to the side and gestured to my vehicle. "My car decided it had enough and my phone's dead. Do you know how I can get a hold of a towing company or something?"

The woman hopped off her ATV and took a step towards me. I was fairly shocked to discover how short she was. She couldn't have been much taller than five foot but damn she had curves and she held herself with confidence. Moving her glasses to the top of her head I looked down into the prettiest pair of hazel eyes I had ever seen. A trail of freckles danced across the bridge of her nose and a few scars littered the right side of her face. One particular scar ran down her bottom lip. Lips that were moving.

"Uh, I'm sorry. I didn't catch that," I said sheepishly.

The brunette gave a small chuckle. "I think the sun's gotten to you. If you don't mind, I suggested taking a look under the hood for you."

"Oh, right." Reaching under the steering wheel, I pulled the lever and the hood popped open with a click. The brunette walked around and opened it all the way, disappearing behind it. I hastily checked my reflection in the rearview mirror, quickly running my hands through my faded dyed blue hair. 

Giving up with a sigh, I joined the cowgirl in front of the car. She was standing on her toes, her flannel tied around her waist, as she looked around at the engine. 

"If you go over to my ATV you'll find a bag. In it, there's a water bottle. Help yourself."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Trust me, you wanna stay hydrated around here."

With a nod, I followed her instructions and walked over to the ATV. Tied to the back rack was a small red bag with a black cowboy hat strapped on top. Digging into the bag I pulled out an insulated bottle and I realized just how thirsty I was. When I returned, water bottle in hand, the cowgirl glanced over her shoulder at me. 

"So, ain't from around here are you?"

"Oh, uh, no. I'm from New York City. What about you?"

"I live on a farm a few miles back that way with my dad and little brother." She nodded in the direction she had come. "Name's Ash by the way."

"Lexi." 

Ash turned around, wiping her hands on her jeans, and closed the hood with a bang. Sitting on the bumper she started scrolling through her phone with one hand and took the water bottle with the other. "Alright, I messaged my buddy who runs the local mechanic shop. He'll come pick it up ASAP." Pushing off the car the smaller woman stepped closer to me. Close enough I caught the scent of cinnamon and leather from her. With a cocked hip and an arched eyebrow, Ash looked up at me. "As for you, grab the essentials and come with me."

She walked back over the ATV as I pulled myself from my stupor. Rushing to the back seat, I yanked open the door and shoved whatever change of clothes I could find into a backpack along with my toiletries bag and purse. After I grabbed my laptop bag, I locked the car and joined Ash. 

"Hop on back and hold on tight." I did as told, wrapping my arms around a toned stomach as the engine started. "Off we go!"

\-----

Ash slowed us down as we passed a sign welcoming us to Littlecreek. Looking out many of the buildings appeared to be one level with only a few reaching two stories. Driving down what I assumed to be the main street we passed a white tow truck that honked at us, an arm hanging out the window and waving. 

Ash gave a quick wave back before speaking, "He's off to get your car. He'll bring it back to his shop which is just up the way. Nick’s the best mechanic in town."

"Thank you so much. I really appreciate it, Ash."

"Don't worry about it. It's no problem at all." She glanced over her shoulder and gave me a crooked grin. "Gotta say, I love how my name sounds with your accent."

I felt my face heat up as she turned down a side street which lead us into the neighborhood.

"So not only is Nick the best mechanic in town, he's kinda the only one which leaves him pretty busy. Honestly, he might not get to take a look at your car till tomorrow. Cuz of that, you'll be needing a place to stay the night so I'm gonna take you to the best boarding house here in town." We came to a stop in front of a large two-story house. "Trust me, you'll love it here. It has great rooms and Abuela Padilla makes the best green chili and sopapillas ever."

I climbed off the ATV and followed Ash through the front gate and down the brick path to the front porch. Looking around there was color everywhere thanks to the flower beds that line the yard. The cowgirl held open the old screen door and I stepped through, removing my sunglasses. I followed her to the kitchen where we found a skinny teenage boy with black hair, freckled skin, and large glasses. He gave a small wave as he emptied the dishes from the dishwasher.

Ash leaned against the counter. "Hey Stone. Where's the old lady?"

"Out back. Who's your friend?"

"This is Lexi. She's from the big city."

Stone turned his attention to me. "Really? The big city? That's cool."

"Anyway, Logan has some chores to do but he said he'll meet you at the normal time. He'd message you but he managed to drop his phone in the barn and Spider-Man stepped on it."

"I was wondering why he wasn't responding. Leave it to him." Stone shook his head before getting a mischievous smile. "I'm gonna kick his ass this time."

"Funny, that's exactly what he said he’d do to you this morning," Ash laughed, reaching up to ruffle the teen's hair as she passed. 

Following the brunette, we walked into the backyard, which had flowers growing everywhere much like the front yard. We stopped on the edge of a patio under a pagoda full of freshly watered hanging baskets and vines. 

"Buenos días, Anciana," Ash said as she leaned against one of the posts. 

Sitting in a wicker chair was a small, old woman with knitting needles in her lap. She had long gray hair, tanned skin that was weathered with age and full of laughter lines around her mouth, and large thick glasses that framed a pair of brown eyes.

"Hartley." A large grin sprouted on her face and out of it came cackling laughter. "I heard about your trouble with the pig the other day."

Ash's shoulders tensed. "He surprised me that's all!" The cackling got louder as the cowgirl crossed her arms. 

"So, your papa already ate all that green chili?"

"Nah, we're good with the chili. I'm actually here because my new friend here needs a room for the night."

Picking up her needles she got back to knitting. "You do realize the auction starts in a few days right? I'm booked."

"Come on, Abuela. She's in a bit of a jam. Besides, I told her this is the best place in town." The clicking of needles got louder and faster. 

Stepping around Ash, I spoke up. "She also said something about you making the best sopapillas ever."

There was a bark of laughter and the woman set down her needles again. "Come here. Let me have a look at you."

I stepped forward and the woman softly took my hands, looking me over. "Well aren't you bonita. Take as long as you need, Mi Nina. You can call me Rosella," she leaned around me to peer at Ash, "but some people insist on calling me Abuela."

Placing her knitting needles on the nearby table, Ms. Padilla stood and made her way across the yard, pausing to give Ash a quick wack in the arm. We followed her back into the house where we stopped in the kitchen. Muttering in Spanish, Ms. Padilla flipped through a large ledger that sat on one of the counters before disappearing into the other room. 

"Welp," Ash said curling her thumbs in her belt loops, "I best be heading out. I still got some stuff to take care of. Something tells me I'll be seeing you around though."

The brunette turned to leave. "Ash." She turned back around. "Thank you. Really."

She gave me a crooked grin. "Trust me, it was no problem. Abuela will take good care of you. If you need to get a hold of me, just ask her or Stone for my number."

"If I'm not interrupting anything," Ms. Padilla chuckled as she entered the room causing the brunette to turn red, "if you could fill these out for me and if I could see some kind of ID." I handed over my driver's license and began filling everything out. "Breakfast comes with the room, served from eight till nine, after that you're fending for yourself. No lunch but I can provide dinner if you ask in the morning."

"If you want dinner you should head down to Olivia's Diner. She starts the evening menu after five thirty. Best food in town."

"Don't you have somewhere to be, Hartley?" Like the mature adult she was, the brunette stuck out her tongue. "Keep that up, I'll cut it out and feed it to the coyotes."

"Keep talking like that and I'll put you in a home you old bat."

"You and what army?"

"Like you're a challenge. I'll rope you like a calf, Anciana." Ash just barely ducked out of the way as a sandal went flying towards her head. It bounced off the cabinet and hit the wood floor with a thump followed by a beautiful sound filling the room. Ash laughed, "You missed!"

"I won't next time!"

There was a loud buzz and Ash pulled her phone from her back pocket. "Damn. I gotta go but this isn't over Abuela. See you around girly." With a quick grin, she hurried out of the house.

"Esa muchacha." Ms. Padilla shook her head, retrieving her sandal, before turning back to me. "Let's go get you situated then." I followed the woman up the stairs. "This is the quietest part of the house. There's one other lady on the floor, but she keeps to herself. You'll find everything you need in the room. I'll leave you to it." She handed over the key and walked back down the hall.

Stepping into the room I found a full-sized bed, a dresser, a small desk, and an attached bathroom. Setting my stuff down on the desk, I flopped on the bed.

"Damn." As much as my heart hurt from Hunter something about Ash called to me. You couldn't deny she was definitely hot, but something about the friendliness of her smile, the glimmer of mischief in her eyes, and her overall relaxed personality screamed adventure. It screamed something else that I couldn't name.

Feeling sleep call to me, I pulled off my shoes and jeans and dove under the covers. Wrapping myself in a fluffy blanket cocoon, I fell asleep almost instantly.

\-----

Waking up with my heart beating fast, I quickly sat up and scanned the room in fear. _It was just a dream. He is not here. You are safe._ I took series of deep breaths and eventually managed to calm down. 

Stretching, a series of loud pops and cracks erupted from my spine. Sleeping mostly in my car for the past month and a half hadn't been the best for my back. I contemplated flopping back down on the soft mattress but my mind recalled my nightmare. Knowing it would only come back, I swung my legs out from the covers and shuffled over to the bathroom.

Taking a look in the mirror, I scrunched my face in disgust. Another perk of living in my car had left me with limited options when it came to showering. My hair was greasy, the blue dye faded with my blonde roots peeking through, and there were hints of makeup that never fully washed away.

Returning to the bedroom, I discarded the rest of my clothes and grabbed my toiletries bag. Back in the bathroom, I fiddled with the shower controls until I got the right temperature and stepped in with a relaxing sigh. Thankful for a chance to take a real shower, I took my time, washing and conditioning my hair, scrubbing the layers of dirt from my skin, and shaving all the places that desperately needed it.

Making sure everything had washed away, I turned off the shower and stepped out, wrapping both my body and my hair in towels. I brushed and flossed my teeth before toweling dry and practically using the whole bottle of lotion I found in one of the cabinets. Plugging in the blow dryer, I moved on to my hair, smiling and shaking my head around when it was back to its normal fluffiness. 

Back in the bedroom, I pulled out the clothes I managed to shove in my backpack and pieced an outfit together. I slipped on a lighter pair of jeans and a simple Mickey Mouse t-shirt. 

After applying a small amount of makeup, I gave one last glance in the full-length mirror before I left my room and headed downstairs where I found Ms. Padilla in the living room. She sat in a simple wooden rocking chair with brown cushions. Spanish music softly drifted from the small radio that sat on the fireplace mantle.

"How do you like the room, Mi Nina?" she asked looking up from her knitting needles.

"It's amazing, thank you. I haven't slept that good in a long time and I love your shower."

The woman smiled, "That's just what I like to hear."

"Well, I'm going out. Are there house rules I should know of?"

"No. As long as you have your keys and are respectful of the others in the house, of course. I think you won't be a problem though, I don't see you bring back strangers."

I was confused at first until it dawned on me. A certain cowgirl was no stranger to the woman. "I don't think I'll be bringing any guests back, Ms. Padilla."

The woman's lips turned up at the corners and she looked back down at her knitting. She muttered something that I didn't catch. The clock on the wall chimed the hour and Ms. Padilla looked back up at me. 

"You best hurry off if you want to make your date."

I crossed my arms with a roll of my eyes. "It's not a date."

"Keep telling yourself that, Mi Nina." I left the living room followed by the old woman's cackling. 

Leaving the boarding house, I made my way down the road back to Main Street. Glancing around, I walked a few blocks down where I recalled seeing a shop with a large General Store sign on the front.

Walking through the door, I felt like I had stepped right onto a television show set. Its neatly stacked shelves were full of brands I barely recognized. I couldn't help but admire some of the smaller things such as the fresh produce in the front, still in the crates with the farmers' names on the front. Glancing into some of the freezers, I found many homemade beverages and one full of egg cartons, many of them labeled Burn Scar Ranch.

Finding what I needed, I made my way to the counter. Behind it was a wall of liquor and cigarettes. Tapping the bell, I heard movement in the back followed by a female voice. "I'm coming. I'm coming." A woman with long black hair, freckled skin, and thin glasses appeared and made her way over. "Just the charger?"

"Yup."

"That'll be five dollars." 

I passed her the money before shoving the new cord in my laptop bag. "Thank you." I turned to leave but paused. "Actually, could you give me directions to the mechanics?"

"Yeah. Just take a right out the door and head down the road here for a bit. It'll be on the left. You can't miss it."

"Okay. Thanks again." I waved as I walked out of the store. 

Following the directions, I easily found it. There were a few gas pumps in the front on a large concrete slab complete with an awning over top and a sign listing prices. The concrete gave way to gravel making a large parking lot where a range of vehicles sat, including the tow truck from earlier. Walking towards the garage I was greeted by a large Doberman leaping to their feet which caused me to jump back. It gave a few loud barks followed by a low growl and slowly started to circle around me. 

"Uh, hello! Is anyone there?"

There was a clatter inside and a young man appeared. He was on the shorter side, with black hair, a pair of overalls tied at his waist, and a grey tank top. He was covered head to toe in oil stains and other smudges. 

The dog ran over to him, its tongue lolled to the side, and he scratched behind its ears. "Are you the girl Ash picked up?"

"Yes."

"Alright. I got your car in here. Come on Pebbles." The dog took off inside and I couldn't help but chuckle as I followed the man into the garage. The mechanic's guard dog was named Pebbles. 

"Well, I got some news for you Darlin'," he said as he leaned under the hood of my car.

"Just call me Lexi."

He looked over his shoulder at me, his eyes narrow. "Nick."

"So, how bad is it, how much will it cost, and how long will it take to fix?"

"Right to it then." He moved over, taking a seat on an overturned milk crate, and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He kicked another crate over to me and I took a seat. "As you can see, I'm already up to my neck in other work, but because you're Ash’s new friend I gave it a once over. I'll be honest with you, it's not good. Your engine is shot. Looks like you got a leak which led to the oil draining out and messing up the engine."

I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. "So what would you suggest I do?"

He leaned back against one of the toolboxes and I watched as his tough-guy act faltered for a moment as he took a drag from his cigarette. "You've got a couple of options. If you can stick around for a while I can order a new one or have some buddies of mine look for a second hand one. Or, if you want to be heading on your way, just buy a new car."

"And how much is that going to cost me?"

"Realistically? A new engine probably about six grand and a second-hand one somewhere between two and four, and that's not including labor. A new car, one fit for the journey you seem to be on, probably eight to ten at least." 

I dropped my head. There was no way I could afford a new car and a new engine would take most of what I had. _No use fixing the car if I can't pay for the gas needed to drive it._

"There is another option." I quickly looked up and saw his smirk was gone. "I could buy the car off you. It's a good car besides the engine. I could give you a fair price, you take the extra cash and you could catch a ride to the next town over with one of the people coming down for the auction this weekend. I'm pretty sure there's a Greyhound that runs out of there."

As I started contemplating what to do, a blue dirt bike tore into the parking lot. The engine shut off and I watched as Pebbles ran over. The mechanic broke into a broad grin as he leaned forward and started waving at the newcomer. Getting off the bike, the driver removed their helmet revealing a teenage boy with familiar tan skin and brown hair. Setting the helmet on the seat, he scooped the large dog up, carrying him into the garage like a baby, cooing the whole way. Placing the dog down next to Nick, he leaned on the toolbox. He wore a pair of dust-covered jeans, worn tennis shoes, and a yellow t-shirt that read 'Littlecreek High School Football.'

"Has it come yet?"

"They dropped it off this morning. Didn't you get my text?"

"Broke my phone last night."

Nick chuckled as he got to his feet. "Of course. You know, I could use your help this summer. Once you talk to your dad and sis of course."

The boy shrugged and gave a familiar crooked grin. "My dad won't care as long as I get my chores done and y’all act like Ash has a say over what I do."

It clicked into place. This was Ash’s little brother. He was easily a gender-bent version of his sister, the only differences being his dark brown eyes and how tall he was. 

"Don't let her hear you talking like that or she'll have your neck," Nick laughed as the teen walked further into the garage.

"She's gotta be able to reach it first!"

Nick shook his head and turned back to me. Holding his hand out he helped me back to my feet. "You take a few days to think it over and let me know what you wanna do." Searching his pockets he pulled out a stained business card and handed it to me. "Give me a call, if I don't answer leave a text and I'll get back to you as soon as I can." 

He wandered off in search of the boy and I went back to my car. Unlocking the trunk, I grabbed the ordinary-looking backpack that laid there. Unzipping it, I smiled looking down at my camera. If it was really necessary, I could sell it for extra cash but even the thought of parting with it sent a pain through my chest. 

Checking to make sure everything was accounted for, I closed the trunk, locking it, and opened the driver side door where I placed the keys in the cupholder. Taking one last look around and finding no one, I left the garage. Looking across the street, I took in the sight of Olivia's Diner. There was a large red and white sign announcing the name and the large parking lot was full of cars and beaten up trucks. 

Stepping into the diner, I felt like I was on another television set. Along the windows were red leather booths with white tables, many filled with customers enjoying greasy food out of little plastic baskets. The floor had black and white tiles and there were chrome accents everywhere. I smiled watching a little boy with messy brown hair, no older than nine, spin around on one of the stools at the counter, only slowing down when an older woman placed a milkshake before him. 

Somewhere a man shouted, "TABLE FIVE, ORDER UP!"

Hurrying over to the window a young man grabbed the trays. Walking past me, he paused, "Just sit wherever and I'll be right with you."

Scanning the walls, I looked for an outlet and found one on the far wall. Taking a seat in the booth, I plugged in both my phone and my laptop. Waiting for them to turn on, I scanned the crowd. A group of preteens sat in a circle booth in the far corner, along the counter were many farmhands, save for the boy digging into his milkshake, and many of the booths were filled with small families. A certain brunette cowgirl was nowhere in sight. Not sure what I was expecting, I gave a sigh and grabbed the plastic menu that was propped between the salt shaker and the napkin holder.

The waiter walked over. He was tall with dusty brown hair, glasses, and a messy apron. "Hello, welcome to Olivia's Diner, my name's Wildfire." He pointed to his name tag which read just that in capital letters. "Are you waiting on someone or?" I shook my head. I didn't even know if Ash would show up so might as well order. "Alright, what can I get for you?"

"Um, I'll have the Littlecreek Classic with fries and a lemonade please."

"Coming right up. And the WiFi password is on the back of the menu at the bottom, by the way." He took off as I looked for the password and typed it in. 

I spent the next half hour eating, going through pictures, and all but jumping from my seat in anticipation whenever the bell above the door jiggled. The diner had started to calm down now that the main dinner rush was over. As I ate the last of my burger, the bell jingled again and I looked to find the girl from the general store walking in followed by a tiny red-headed woman. The duo took a seat at the counter next to the little boy who now played on his DS. I smiled as the taller of the two ruffled the boy's hair while the other struggled to get onto the stool. The waiter leaned against the counter and started a conversation with them.

"Yeah, Ari just up and left last night. Quit her job, broke up with Nick, and grabbed her stuff. Something about heading to Hollywood."

"Good riddance," the redhead sneered, toying with her long rust-colored hair. "She's always been nothing but a bitch. Now Nicholas won't have her holding him back."

"Less drama to deal with, too," the other woman agreed.

They all nodded before Wildfire pointed in my direction. I quickly dropped my head back to my laptop. "And in other news, you hear what Ash found this morning?"

"That's her?" the redhead asked.

The bell jingled and, speak of the devil, Ash walked in, causing the trio to turn. The brunette had changed into a pair of tattered jeans and a black tube top but kept the boots and the flannel. She also donned the black cowboy hat I saw earlier. She ambled over to the counter with a carefree attitude, giving Wildfire a high five, the redhead a playful elbow, and wrapping the little boy in a hug. 

I tore my eyes away, and instead tried to look focused on my work. After a few agonizingly long moments, I heard the sound of boots approaching and looked up. 

"Well, looky there. Fancy seeing you here Miss Walsh." I giggled as Ash strode over, drawing out her accent. 

"Good evening Miss Hartley." I gestured to the booth opposite of me which the cowgirl happily flopped into.

"Whatcha working on?" I turned my laptop around to show her the picture I was editing which was of the sun rising behind the mountains. "Wow, that's amazing. I've never seen the mountains."

"Really?"

"Nope. My family's never really traveled outside the state. The farm and all that keeps us pretty busy." Wildfire walked over, setting down a basket of fries and a burger in front of Ash. "Thanks, Cooper."

He nodded and leaned against the booth, looking me over. "So this is the girl you were telling me about earlier?"

"Shove off Cooper."

"Is that any way to treat your best friend? Besides, I'm just being friendly. What's your name?"

"Lexi."

Before he could say anything else, an order was called out. Cooper gave the brunette a quick glance before running off.

"He's your best friend?" I asked as I closed my laptop and set it aside.

"Yup. Our parents are friends so we've always been partners in crime."

"Why does he go by Wildfire?"

Ash chuckled as she toyed with one of her fries. "That boy does not get on with fire well. I don't know how many he's almost started. I think it was two years ago he managed to set his hair on fire so bad he had to shave it. Singed his eyebrows off and everything."

I giggled along. "Wow. What about you? Ms. Padilla mentioned something about a pig earlier."

"Oh, that. It was nothing." I arched an eyebrow at the smaller woman who started turning pink. "I was in the pigpen cleaning up their water dish and stuff, well Chicken Legs thought it was feeding time so he got excited. He rammed into the back of my legs causing my knees to buckle and I ended up falling into the mud pit. After that, all the other pigs came over thinking we were playing and I ended up covered head to toe in mud and snout prints."

"Wow, just wow." I chuckled, imagining the girl in front of me rolling around in the mud with a group of pigs. "Two questions. Why snout prints? And do you really have a pig named Chicken Legs?"

"You city folk don't know what you're missing. Piggy kisses are amazing. They come up and boop you with their snouts. And yes, I do really have a pig named Chicken Legs and he's a good boy. He just gets excited."

"What is with you country people and weird animal names? I met Pebbles the Doberman earlier."

"It's a Littlecreek tradition. Whenever you get a new pet, or any animal really, you give them some weird name. Our cow's name is Pork Chop. My brother's horse is named Spider-man. My dog is named Neapolitan. Hell, Cooper has a dog named Player Two."

"Wow, that's actually amazing. How many animals do you have on your farm?"

"One cow, two dogs, four horses, five pigs, and twelve chickens."

"That's cool. I had a cat growing up but she died a few years back. I named her Winnie after Winnie the Pooh."

"That's cute."

We sat in silence for a few minutes as Ash finished her burger. I counted six scars going down the right side of her face with many more on her neck, chest, and right arm. 

"Have you tried their pie yet?" Ash asked when she was done. I shook my head causing Ash to give me a faux look of disappointment. She waved to Cooper who rolled his eyes at her as he made his way over. "Cooper, I demand you get us some pie right this second."

Cooper leaned against the booth again. "Really?"

"Yes. You like apple?" I nodded. "To slices of apple pie stat!"

He shook his head as he walked away. "And you call me a dork."

"Hey Ash," the redhead called as she walked over. Getting a closer look, this girl screamed money. Unlike everyone else I had seen, she wore expensive clothes and carried herself in a proper way that was out of place in a town like this. "We were going to McCarthy's. Are you coming or?"

"We just ordered dessert. Next time though." 

The redhead raised an eyebrow. "Really? What about Mercedes?"

"What about her?" The brunette tilted her head side to side causing her neck to crack. "Cede’s chill. She won't care."

Starting to feel guilty, I spoke up, "If you need to go it's okay. I don't want to keep you from something."

"It's fine. I'll text y’all later okay?" The taller girl placed a hand on the other girl's shoulder.

"Fine. Have a good night then." The duo left and moments later Cooper dropped off our pie.

"I really don't want to keep you from anything. If you want to go with your friends then feel free to."

"Trust me, it's fine. Trinity is stressing about the auction that's in a couple of days so she's just a little high strung right now."

"That so? What is the auction? Everyone seems to be talking about it."

We spent the next couple of hours talking, our slices of pie long gone. I told her about my work as a photographer and living in New York City while Ash shared wacky mishaps and bits of the town’s history and culture. It wasn't until we heard Cooper shouting that we remembered the rest of the world.

"Guys, it's late. Leave already." Looking around we realized we were the last ones there. Leaning on his mop Cooper sighed. "Normally I wouldn't care but my mom's had me at it all day."

"Right. I suppose we should get out of your hair." Ash stood up and followed the waiter while I quickly packed my things. I went to join the others at the register but before I got there the cowgirl shoved her wallet back into her pocket, gave the boy a quick fist bump, and ushered me outside. 

In the parking lot, I turned and looked at her with an arched eyebrow. "Ash?"

"Kitten?" That was new but certainly not unwelcome.

"I didn't pay."

She shrugged. "Don't worry about it. Can I walk you home?"

Rolling my eyes, I adjusted the strap of my backpack. "I suppose."

We walked for a couple of blocks in silence before Ash stretched her arms above her head. "So, whatcha think of Littlecreek so far? Everyone playing nice?"

"Yeah. I mean Nick was pretty blunt and Trinity came off a bit rude but the girl at the general store was really nice and I think I met your brother."

"Right, Logan mentioned grabbing something from the garage. And yeah, Nick and Trinity tend to be that way till you get to know them. The girl at the general store is Carmen. She can be a bit ornery at times but she has a good heart. Her brother is the kid helping Abuela Padilla at the boarding house."

"I can see the resemblance."

We continued walking back to the boarding house, making small talk, and taking our time. I didn't want the night to end and it seemed that Ash felt the same way. As we passed the library the brunette had stopped. 

"Wanna chill for a bit?" she asked, gesturing to a nearby bench. 

I gave a nod and felt my breath catch as she grasped my hand. Her hands were rough and calloused from years of work but her touch was soft and gentle. We took a seat and I watched the cowgirl lean back, using a finger to tilt her hat up. I set down my belongings and slid closer to the brunette. 

I watched as small winged figures swooped and dove through the air. I ducked into the other woman as one came close. With a chuckle, Ash wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer. I was engulfed by the scent of cinnamon and leather again.

"It's just a bat. Trust me, it's much more interested in the bugs than you."

"Oh, I've never seen a bat before." I pulled away some to adjust my position but was disappointed when Ash removed her arm.

"So, how'd it go with your car?"

"Not good. I need a new engine and no matter what, I'm screwed. He did offer to buy the car from me though. He said I could get a ride from someone at the auction and catch a bus in the town over."

Something about what I said caused the cowgirl to look away with a sadness in her eyes. "If you decide that, I know some good people from there who'd happily give you a lift. You'd have to go a few towns over to Clacton to catch the bus."

Looking at Ash, something in me was saying not to leave. "I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet. I'm going to take a few days to think things over."

"Well, if you're sticking around, I could give you my number. You know, if you need to get a hold of me or something."

I practically dove for my bag in search of my phone. Finding it, I unlocked it and handed it over. I watched as Ash’s fingers flew across the screen before she handed it back with a smile. 

From her own pocket, Ash’s phone beeped. She pulled it out and gave a sigh as she stood up. "It appears I'm being summoned. I know I promised to walk you home, and I hate breaking my promises, but…” She held up her phone showing a few, what I assumed to be drunk, texts.

Grabbing my bags, I got to my feet. "I'm sure I can find my way. Thank you for the lovely evening. I had a nice time."

She shoved her phone in her pocket and looped her thumbs in her belt loop. "I did too."

Feeling a rush of courage, I took a deep breath and darted forward, leaving a kiss on the other woman's cheek. I felt Ash freeze and started kicking myself in the ass. I must have read it wrong. _Things are different here than they are in New York. How stupid am I?_

A wave of relief washed over me when Ash looked up with soft eyes and a lopsided smile. "See you around, Kitten?"

"For sure."

Another beep from her back pocket made the woman roll her eyes. "Good night." She gave one last tip of her hat before walking back in the direction we came. After a moment, I slowly made my way back to the boarding house. 

Once back in my room, I changed into an oversized t-shirt and took a seat on the bed with my laptop. After signing into the WiFi, I began looking up the parts for my car with no luck. There was no way I could pay for it. Logging into my bank account, I realized I also had less money than I thought. I wouldn't even be able to stay in the boarding house for very long.

Slipping off the bed, I walked over to the window and carefully pushed it open. Gazing into the garden below I continued thinking. It seemed like my only option was to sell the car and get a ride but there was no way I could bring all my belongings with me. I thought about how I could get more money and my mind flicked back to a certain conversation I overheard earlier. Rushing back to my laptop, I transferred a file to my phone with a smile. 

Putting my laptop away and my phone on the charger, I curled up under the covers. For the first time in weeks, I had a plan.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, I woke up feeling the best I had in months. I made quick work of showering and moved around my room to the music that softly drifted from my laptop. Slipping into another simple t-shirt and a pair of leggings, I applied a bit of makeup. Once I was pleased with my appearance, I turned off the music and made my way downstairs. 

Stepping into the backyard, I found Ms. Padilla watering some of the potted plants. "Good morning, Ms. Padilla."

"Buenos días, Mi Nina. How did you sleep?"

"Really well."

"How was your date?"

"It wasn't a date." The woman gazed at me with a raised eyebrow and I felt the heat creep up my face. "But, I did have fun."

Ms. Padilla let out a loud chuckle as she moved to the next plant. "That's good to hear. Could you be a dear and water the rest of these while I get breakfast? I already watered that half."

"Not a problem."

I took the hose from her as she walked back into the house. By the time I was finished and had coiled the hose around the hanger, I found Ms. Padilla sitting in the conservatory with a basket of homemade muffins. 

"Seeing it's just the two of us this morning, I figured we could eat in here rather than the dining room." 

I took a seat on the couch next to her chair and grabbed a muffin. Taking a bite, I couldn't stop the loud hum that escaped me. 

"These are amazing!"

"Gracias. Have as many as you'd like." We sat in silence for a while, content with the muffins and our coffee when Ms. Padilla asked, "So, will you be staying for dinner or moving on?" I fiddled with my mug and her voice softened. "You have that look about you. As if you don't know if you're coming or going."

"Is it that obvious?"

The woman took a sip from her own mug. "Not really, but when you've been around as long as I have you pick up on these things."

"What if I said I was thinking about staying? For a little while."

"Any particular reason?" I turn back to my mug. "You can't afford to leave, can you?"

"Not really. But I have enough to pay for the room."

The old woman laughed. "Mi Nina, I told you not to worry about that. I mean what I said yesterday. Take all the time you need." She took another sip of her coffee. "Why don't you tell Abuela what's really going on?"

After a moment the dam broke. I told her about my car and finances, about the options Nick gave me and the downside to each of them. As I talked Ms. Padilla sat patiently listening until I finished.

"What is it that you really want to do?"

"I don't want to hitchhike. I just want to rest, even if it's just for a little while."

"It sounds like you already know what you really want to do, Mi Nina." She took my hand and gave it a small squeeze. After a few moments of silence, she asked another question. "Do you have a plan?"

"Sort of."

With a grin, the old woman released my hand. "Then what are you doing sitting around here? Get to it! Vayas!"

I spent the next two hours putting the finishing touches on a few photographs before emailing them to the magazine who had requested them. _Hopefully, they'll be pleased_ , I thought as I left the boarding house.

Stepping onto Main Street, I wasn't surprised to find the small town of Littlecreek bustling in the late morning. It was certainly different from what I was used to in New York, but it was a welcome change. The lazy nature of the town was simply infectious and I caught myself ambling to my destination. I took my time, glancing through the store windows and observing the people I passed.

I paused as I walked by the library, looking across the street at the large park that was there. I watched as the group of preteens from yesterday played football in the grass, half of them dogpiling onto the boy with the ball. Further down, a teenage girl with dark skin sat on the edge of the stage plucking at her guitar. I gave a smile before continuing on my way.

Reaching the diner, I took one last look at my reflection in the window before walking in. I was greeted by a blast of cool air and country music. The clatter of pots and pans could be heard from the kitchen and only a few customers sat at the counter. Walking up to the seemingly deserted service counter, I gave a small cough hoping to catch someone's attention.

"One minute," a woman called. 

After a moment, a woman came into view. She had graying light brown hair, glasses, and an apron similar to the one Cooper had been wearing. I recalled her being the one who delivered the boy his milkshake the night before. 

"I'm sorry but you just missed breakfast service and lunch doesn't start for another half hour."

The woman busied herself with the ketchup bottles further down the counter. I followed.

"Actually, I was hoping to speak to the manager, please?"

"That would be me. I'm Olivia, owner, manager, and all that. Would you mind holding this still for me?" I took hold of the red container as Olivia filled each ketchup dispenser. "So, what can I do for ya?"

"I heard you might be needing another waitress?"

Olivia looked me over as she screwed on the lids and wiped them off. "Where'd you hear that?"

"I'm new to town and looking for work. I was told to try here." Not the whole truth but everyone tells a white lie in these kinds of situations.

She looked me over again. "New to town, you say?" I nodded. "Follow me then."

I followed her through a swinging door into the kitchen, passing a wall of a man dressed in white. Olivia flicked him with a towel as they passed.

"Keep an eye on the front, Jason, I'm taking a break." The man gave a quick thumbs-up without looking up. 

Olivia led the way through a corridor and out into a small loading bay that opened into a narrow backstreet. Grabbing a folding camping chair, she took a seat before turning to me. She gestured to the loading dock where I took a seat.

"Where ya from?"

"New York."

Olivia grinned. "Awfully far from the big city, ain't ya?" I shrugged. "Got a name, Big City Girl?"

"Lexi."

I watched as a brown tabby came trotting over. It leaped onto the dock, cautiously making its way over to me. After it nudged my arm, I began trailing my fingers between its ears and down its spine a few times before it decided it had enough. Tired of me, it leaped down and rubbed itself against the diner owner's leg. The woman leaned forward and started scratching it between the ears.

"Are you just passing through or?"

"Haven't decided yet. I was going to see if I could get a job first."

"Do you have any experience? It's no secret that I'm short-staffed and, with the auction in a few days, I'll need the help, but you'll be no good if you're in the way or need to be trained." I pulled out my phone but Olivia waved it away. "I don't need any paper or anything. Can you take orders, serve, and just keep up with everything?"

"I paid my way through college working as a waitress."

Standing up, she attempted to shoo the cat away with no success as she walked toward the back door. "Lunch rush is about to start. If you can handle that, we'll go from there. Make sure Spatula doesn't follow you in. Last time he snuck in he made a mess of everything."

Gently as I could, I used my foot to stop the cat from following me any further as I closed the door. As I walked back down the corridor to the kitchen Olivia popped out of a side door.

"What size shoe are ya?"

Confused, it took me a moment to answer. "Eight?"

A moment later, she returned and held out a pair of close-toed black crocs. I took them with a raised eyebrow.

"They're ugly but they're perfect for the job. You'll be thanking me later." She pointed to an old brown door further down the hall. "There's lockers in there where you can put your stuff and grab an apron. Meet me upfront when you're ready."

Sitting on the worn wooden bench, I replaced my converse with something I never thought I would wear. When I stood up I was surprised by how comfy they really were. _If only the girls back in New York could see me now._ A wave of sadness washed over me as I recalled the friends I left behind. _I hope they’re okay._

Shaking my head, I left my purse and shoes in the locker and grabbed a clean apron off a hook near the door. After slipping it on and tying it around my waist, I rushed back down the hall and into the kitchen where I found Jason at the grill, humming along to the music. Walking through the swinging door, I found that quite a few customers had already arrived and placed themselves at the booths and counter. Olivia handed me a name tag that read 'City Girl' in black marker which I clipped to my apron while she slid me a pen and order pad.

"For now you just need to write the number of the menu item and the table. Stick the paper there and Jason will holler when it's ready. I'll deal with the register." She took a step back and looked me over with a smile. "You ready, Big City Girl?" I nodded. "Then get out there. We've got hungry people to feed!"

With a smile, I hurried off to the first table. "Hello, my name is City Girl. What can I get you?"

\-----

Two hours later, I flopped down in a booth with a groan. How I didn't miss being a waitress. I watched as the redheaded bus boy sped around the diner gathering all the plastic serving baskets and silverware. Jason appeared through the swinging door, causing the teen to duck under his arm and into the kitchen. 

"Hey City Girl, can I rustle something up for ya?"

"Whatever you have going." I was hungry but didn’t want to be a bother.

As he disappeared back into the kitchen, I moved to behind the counter. While I busied myself with wiping everything down, the bell jingled and I looked up to find the red-headed woman from last night. With a hint of a struggle, Trinity hopped up on the nearest stool and sighed.

"Hello. What can I get you?"

She looked at me surprised, her green eyes going wide. "Could I get a coffee? Black with no cream or sugar."

I gave a quick nod before quickly making it. After I set the mug before her, Jason appeared, placing a sandwich in front of me.

"Good afternoon Trinity." He leaned against the counter next to me.

"Hello, Mr. Griffin."

"How's everything going with the auction?"

"Same as usual."

The man nodded before turning to me. "So you're the girl my niece picked up, right?"

I set down my sandwich. I hadn't realized Jason was Ash’s uncle but I could see the resemblance. He had the same tanned skin and brown eyes as Logan. 

"Yes. I guess news travels fast."

"In a town this size it does," Trinity said as she swirled her drink around.

"Especially when she texts Cooper about it and he tells me and all his friends." I nodded as I took another bite. "Anywho, if you let me know what you usually like I'll make sure to get it by the lunch shift tomorrow."

"Lunch shift? I got the job?"

"You sure did." He gave me a pat on the shoulder that almost sent me flying over the counter. "Olivia was mighty impressed. She would like to have you for the evening rush too if you're up for it. Makes things a bit easier on Cooper."

"Yeah! No problem."

The man chuckled as he went back to the kitchen. I turned back to my sandwich and Trinity looked up from her phone giving me a friendly smile.

"Congrats on the job." She glanced at the clock with a sigh. "I best be off. The auction isn't going to run itself."

I watched as she hopped off the chair and slipped a five-dollar bill under the mug. Tossing her purse over her shoulder she headed to the door only to pause before walking through.

"Oh, and Lexi, welcome to Littlecreek."

Looking down at my sandwich, I couldn’t help but smile. _Littlecreek has a nice ring to it._


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far this has been one of my favorite chapters to write in any of my stories.

Glancing out of the diner's window as I wiped down the counter, I spotted a flash of distinct rust colored hair as a certain woman made her way across the parking lot. Peeking at the clock I smiled. _Right on time._ As the bell above the door jingled, Cooper joined me from the kitchen, a paper to go bag in hand. I watched as Trinity struggled to climb onto the stool in front of me before dropping her head onto the counter's still damp surface. Chuckling, I walked over to the coffee maker and poured her usual drink into the mug reserved for the woman who was currently mumbling incoherently. 

"What was that?" I asked setting it down next to her.

Glancing around and finding the diner empty, save for Patrick who dozed in his normal booth, she complained, "I hate my fucking job. You'd think setting up the auction would be the hard part but it's everything that comes after that is crazy."

Being the youngest auction accountant and overseer in Littlecreek history certainly had its pros and cons. It had been a hectic few days for the whole town. Ranchers, ranch hands, and cowboys from all over the state converged on the small town in search of new animals. Nobody minded the influx of money the sales brought which helped many residents make it through the quieter winter months. It just meant that everyone had to be a bit more accommodating by working extra shifts, being open 24/7, and maybe even working an extra job for however long it took to sell all of the animals. After a week, things had settled down but Trinity was still up to her neck in work being the one who oversaw balancing the books and insanely large transactions.

Taking a sip of her coffee she let out another groan. "Somebody just kill me now."

The bell jiggled and I smiled as a tall brunette walked in. "Damn Trinity. You look like hell."

"Fuck off Jordyn."

The barmaid chuckled as she took a seat next to the smaller woman. "You know what we all need?"

Two green eyes peered at her. "What?"

Jordyn leaned closer like she was revealing the secret of the universe. "A girls’ night."

"Yes! You," she pointed at me, "call Hartley. You," she pointed at Jordyn, "text Mercedes. I'll get Carmen." She headed to the door. "McCarthy's at the usual time!"

As she left Cooper groaned. "I guess I better have my phone on me tonight."

"Yup! Who else is going to play designated driver?" Jordyn laughed. "I gotta go help Mrs. Sanchez with a few things but I'll see you later." Jordyn grabbed her paper to go bag before also heading out the door.

And that's how I found myself at a small bar at 8:30 with five other women, throwing back shots and playing pool.

\-----

"Come on Cede, it's just a bit a whiskey!" Ash called holding a shot out for the blonde rodeo star. She took it and the two threw their heads back while the others cheered. The taller woman set the glass down, her face screwing up before she stuck her tongue out in disgust. 

Over the past two weeks, I had learned that Cede was good at many things, drinking not being one of them. Ash, on the other hand, had no problem out drinking any of us. With a wicked smirk, the small cowgirl threw back two more before leaning on the table and looking at me with a tip of her cowboy hat.

"You guys know where we should go?"

The others followed her gaze and I felt all eyes on me. "Where?"

"Tipsy Cow!"

"Tipsy Cow?"

Carmen threw an arm around my shoulder. "It's only the best place ever. They've got all kinds of beer, brawny guys, a dance floor, and a mechanical bull."

Cede, being the voice of reason, asked, "How are we getting there?"

Everyone froze, gauging how drunk they were. Trinity's green eyes fixed on me. "Lexi can."

"I don't have a car though."

"We can drive mine. I can leave it at the Auction Mart seeing it's across the road and then we'll call Cooper to pick us up in his truck. He can drop everyone in town off."

"And you can crash on my couch!" Carmen smiled at the redhead. 

"Or mine?" I offered but Trinity waved it away.

"It's your first night in your new place and I don't want to impose on the two of you." Thanks to all the tips from the auction goers, I managed to rent the apartment above the general store and, due to Ash living twelve miles out of town, she agreed to spend the night with me.

Said brunette rolled her eyes. "Shove off Trinity."

The others laughed while Trinity shrugged. "So it's been decided. Let's go!" She tossed her keys to me and led the way to the exit only pausing to call back at us with a heavy country twang that surprised us all. "We're burning moonlight!"

"I think we just created a monster," Ash said, shrugging on a black leather jacket over a cropped tank top and adjusting her hat.

We made our way out of the bar and across the parking lot to Trinity’s red 1964 Ford Falcon convertible. Without a doubt, Trinity had the nicest car in town. From what I understand, she bought it as a broken down mess and had Nick fix it up, sparing no expense. We laughed as the redhead got impatient and reached into the car through the half rolled driver's side window and unlocked the door herself before crawling in. 

"Damn Trinity, the place ain't going anywhere!" Jordyn called.

The passenger door popped open and we got a flash of her rust colored hair. "Shut up Jordyn and get in the damn car!"

Ash flashed me a grin over the hood as the other girls piled in the back. Inside, the backseat was a mess of limbs and giggles as it became clear there wasn't enough space for the four women. 

"How come all the tall people are shoved in the backseat with the gremlin?" Jordyn asked, earning her a smack on the arm from Trinity. "Ash is short so why is she upfront?"

"Cuz I have more patience than just jumping into the car," the brunette laughed as she flopped into the passenger seat. "And it's not like you're much taller than me."

"I got like half a foot on you and these two are a good three or four inches taller," Jordyn said rather matter of factly but the cowgirl just shrugged. 

I watched in amusement as Trinity stood up waiting for the others to get situated. Carmen taking the seat behind me with Jordyn sitting in the middle and Cede on her other side. 

"Just sit on Jordyn’s lap, Trinity," Ash suggested.

"And what if we have to slam on the breaks? I am not Supermaning through the windshield!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence in my driving skills!"

"It's not you that I don't trust, you just don't know what's going to wander into the middle of the road at this time of night." The redhead finally took a seat on the rodeo star's lap and crossed her arms.

"There's coyotes in these parts, ain't there Ash?" Carmen jabbed at the cowgirl who rolled her eyes with a smile and tilted her hat forward.

"I'll take it easy then. Everyone buckled up?" Ash slammed the passenger door and there was a number of clicks through the car as I turned the key. "Where to?"

Following the cowgirl's directions, I drove us down Main Street and out of town where I spotted the huge sign flashing in the distance. Sure enough, the entrance was directly across from the large cattle yard and pens of the Auction Market. After parking where Trinity instructed, everyone flopped out of the car with a wave of curses as feet were stepped on and elbows collided with boobs.

Standing in front of the car, Ash stretched her arms above her head and I got distracted by her toned stomach for the tenth time that night. The brunette caught me staring and made a show of sending me a wink before removing her cowboy hat and running her fingers through her hair. With a background of a star filled sky, I couldn't help but wish I had my camera. 

"If you two are done with your little staring contest the rest of us would like to go inside," Jordyn joked causing both of us to turn red. 

I tossed Trinity her keys before following them across the street and into the bar. Stepping inside I was hit by a wall of heat. It was decorated like the inside of a fancy barn, full of brown and russet colors and an energetic country song poured from the speakers. There was a sea of different colored cowboy hats, all with various sized brims, and I was taken by surprise by how busy the place is.

I felt Ash’s hand press softly into my lower back, encouraging me to follow the others. I did just that and after a moment the pressure was gone. Glancing over my shoulder I discovered the cowgirl had disappeared. Slightly disappointed, I continued after the others. We made our way to a circular table that sat along the right wall between the far wall and the quiet end of the bar. 

"Good evening ladies!" The bartender spoke to us as a group but his attention was obviously focused on Carmen. He was the same height as Cooper but had black hair. He looked like your stereotypical cowboy, brown hat and all.

"Miles!" Carmen ran over and practically jumped over the counter. 

The young man started turning red. "How's your night going?"

"Terrific!"

He chuckled. "What can I get y'all?"

After taking our drink orders he ran off further down the bar to get them. After returning, he mentioned starting a tab and gestured to the credit card machine before striking up a conversation with Carmen. The accountant stepped forward about to slip her black credit card into the slot but Cede blocked her with a strong arm.

"I'm buying this time. You pay for enough as is."

Trinity began to protest, attempting to wiggle underneath the immovable rodeo star who held her back effortlessly. As much as the redhead tried with all her might to reach around her friend, her small stature was her worst enemy as Cede slipped her own card into the slot and tapped in her pin. "We're not friends with you for your money."

"But it helps!" Jordyn joked, clapping the smaller woman on the back. Cede slapped the barmaid in the shoulder. "She knows I'm just kidding. We love our gremlin." 

At some point, Miles left to serve other customers and Carmen joined us at the table. As Jordyn retold a story about when they were all in high school, the store clerk got excited adding her own comments. She waved her hands around, one of them clasping her drink, and ended up spilling some of it on Cede.

With a shake of my head, I got to my feet. "I'll go get a washcloth."

"Thank you."

As I headed down the bar to grab some paper towels or a washcloth or anything really, I spotted Ash staring up at a framed photo on the wall. Nodding the bartender a thanks, I collected the cloth before cautiously approaching the cowgirl. Despite my curiosity, I didn't want to disturb what seemed to be a private moment. She appeared to be talking to herself before tilting her hat to the picture. 

"Ash?" I called over the music, giving the woman a chance to gather herself before I got too close.

The brunette turned to me, melancholy in her eyes that was gone in a blink, replaced with her usual mischievousness and a lopsided grin. I looked at the picture and found a black haired woman standing in an arena with a beautiful white horse nuzzling into her and a large trophy in front of them. Beneath it was the caption Bailey Griffin, 1991.' The last name hit home and I realized who the woman was.

"Is that?"

"The one and only, five time barrel racing champion and local legend, Bailey Griffin." She looked back at the photo and the melancholy returned. "Also known as my mom."

"Wow. She seems amazing." The cowgirl nodded.

I took a step back and found a few other pictures of the woman nestled among other cowboys and cowgirls showing off their own prizes and animals. Some were black and white, some old with age, and others bright and crisp thanks to new technology. I picked out one of a younger Jason wrestling a steer, one of Cede on the back of a bronco, even a picture of Logan, no older than seven, standing next to a sheep in a padded vest and a helmet under his arm. Finally, my eyes landed on an action shot of Ash on a black horse mid turn around a barrel with the caption dating it for last year. 

I felt a hand press into the small of my back and turned to find Ash smiling at me. "Come on, let's go join the others."

\-----

As we started our second round of drinks, everyone laughing as they recalled childhood hijinks, a loud bellow of a bull calf blasted from the speakers causing me to duck into Ash. This alone caused the others to laugh even louder. As I recomposed myself, a man's voice came over the speakers. 

"Hello! Good evening ladies and gents. You know what time it is?" A chorus of hoots and hollers came from the crowd followed by loud claps.

Glancing at my companions, I gauged their responses. Trinity was more interested in her cocktail while Carmen bounced around trying to get a better view as Cede helped stabilize her, and Jordyn, unable to let go of being bartender, wiped up our mess. 

Ash stepped up beside me and shouted over the noise. "Get ready for this, Kitten!"

My eyes went back to Carmen, who was in the middle of taking a drink, when the Lone Ranger theme song started playing with some mechanical noises mixed in followed by another bellow. The woman froze and her brown eyes went wide. Slamming her mug on the table she screamed at the top of her lungs, "IT'S COWBOY TIME!"

She grabbed Trinity by the hands and started swinging her around in time with the music. When the music ended, the two sat back down in a fit of giggles as the man started to talk again.

"You got it! It's the Broccoli the Bull Challenge!" I chuckled. _Apparently, the naming tradition applies to robot animals too_. Around me everyone started cheering again, my friends included. "You know the rules, and for those of you new in town, you are in for a treat! For three bucks a ride you can challenge Broccoli the Bull! If you beat him you get three hundred dollars to keep!"

Suddenly, Cede whipped around, blue eyes narrowing on Ash. Fingering the brim of her dark brown cowboy hat, she walked over. Trinity and Carmen froze while Jordyn grabbed me by the wrist, pulling me away from the cowgirl before propping an elbow on the table, a wide smile on her face. The two stepped away from the table, facing each other, and took a stance like they were about to have a showdown. Their eyes locked on each other, taking in every movement like a hawk, while their hands hung at their sides, ready to grab invisible pistols. 

Ash growled, "Alston."

The rodeo star tilted her head. "Hartley."

"Jordyn, if you'd be so kind and do the honors."

"One." Both women shifted to their toes. "Two." Trinity and Carmen leaned forward. "Three." I watched in fascination as Jordyn dropped her hand onto the table. "Go!"

There was a flurry of yellow and brown and the scuffle of cowboy boots on the wood floor as both women dashed back to the table, trying to pull their wallets free from their back pockets. There came a loud slap of leather on wood and Ash spun, releasing a loud yell of victory. She rushed over and picked me up effortlessly, spinning me around a few times before setting me back down. With an arm around my waist, she turned to Cede. 

"Hartley. What will it be?"

"The usual!" A wave of disappointment washed over me as the cowgirl removed her arm to high five the taller woman. "Come on then."

Everyone grabbed their drinks before making a beeline to the small crowd that gathered to the left of the bar. Following Ash, who wormed her way through the crowd like a pro thanks to her small stature, we arrived at a padded barrier that reached my stomach. Squeezing in between Ash and Jordyn, I got my first look at Broccoli the mechanical bull. It had a brown molded face with two white rubber horns and a humped back that rounded down to smooth angled sides covered in a brown felt like material. Just behind the hump was a smooth patch of leather acting as a saddle with a bit of rope protruding from the padding. Behind the small padded arena was a large digital clock hanging on the wall with a control panel where another man stood.

As I tried to make sense of it all the man with the microphone called, "It appears we have our first challenger!" I watched as Carmen made her way through a small door in her socks and without her glasses, the crowd applauding. The announcer walked over to her. "What's your name lil' lady?"

"Carmen!"

"Well Carmen, think you have what it takes to be Broccoli?"

"Bring it."

"Well," Jordyn leaned into me and whispered with a smirk, "she's always enjoyed a bit of prime western between her legs, if you know what I mean."

I choked on my drink, leaving me a sputtering mess as Ash gently patted me on the back. "You're horrible," I chuckled and shook my head.

Turning back to the padded arena, I watched as Carmen slowly climbed onto the bull. 

"Are you ready?" the announcer yelled. 

Camen gave a thumbs up and the creature came to life with a hiss. The music started along with the clock as the bull made its first dip downward. It seemed almost gentle as Carmen easily spun around on it before picking up speed and suddenly changing directions. The crowd cheered as the woman held on for dear life as the bull began to rear and buck erratically. With one last buck and twist, she flew off, landing on the soft padding. Quickly she hopped to her feet, arms in the air like a boxer as the crowd cheered even louder.

Rushing back out the side door she bounced over to us. "What'd you think?"

Cede clapped her on the back and handed over her glasses. "Your technique was off but for a novice you did great!"

"I'm gonna get another drink. Nobody else go until I get back!" The store clerk disappeared into the crowd as the rest of us turned back to the bull, cheering on other contestants.

After a while, I became aware of the arm wrapped around my waist and the thumb rubbing small circles into my hip. I turned and looked down into mischievous hazel eyes. A smirk on the cowgirl's lips told me what she was thinking before she even spoke.

"So, how about it, Kitten?"

I felt four pairs of eyes on me. I didn't want to be a spoilsport and I was curious about how I'd do. I found a pair of green eyes and got an idea.

"I'll do it if she does."

Jordyn and Cede shared a smirk as Ash pulled me into her with a chuckle. Arms crossed, Trinity looked up at me with narrowed eyes. Said eyes never left me as she chugged the rest of her drink.

"You're on." Suddenly, the accountant shrank four inches to her natural height of four foot eleven and dumped her boots into the barmaid's arms as Carmen finally returned with new drinks. After quickly braiding her rust colored hair, to everyone's surprise, she vaulted over the barrier and into the padded arena.

"What did I miss?" Carmen asked.

The crowd quieted to murmurs of surprise as the redhead approached the mechanical creature. Everyone in the county, if not the whole state, knew who Trinity was due to her family. 

"Okay, what a pleasant surprise. Miss Merrill, everybody!"

A surplus of ranch hands and cowboys rushed in to help Trinity mount Broccoli the Bull. Ash snickered as one man picked the small woman up by the waist, lifting her with ease, and set her down on the saddle.

Ash leaned up and whispered in my ear with a snicker, "They're barking up the wrong tree with that one."

"Oh is she?"

The cowgirl set her hand out flat, palm down, and slowly lowered it. "Shh. I don't think she's realized yet but she has a preference. I mean, she's certainly smitten with Carmen. Don't think her dad would be too pleased about it, though. It wouldn't be the first time a family disowned their daughter over who they loved." I watched as hazel eyes flickered over to Jordyn before returning back to the ring. "Got lucky with mine."

"Are you going to tell her?"

Ash shook her head. "Nope. As Cede would say, 'Let the chips fall where they may.' She's a smart girl, she'll figure it out. Eventually. Probably."

Taking a sip from my drink, I looked Ash over. Again I got that feeling of something calling to me, screaming at me, but I couldn't hear what was being said. I turned back to the ring as the bull began to hiss and the music started. 

The bull began to dip and spin, Trinity being flung like a rag doll as it bucked. Her long braid whipped back and forth as it reared up and twisted.

"Just a little longer Trinity!" I found myself yelling with the others.

With a quick dip and even quicker twist, the tiny woman was sent flying through the air and landed on the padding where she actually bounced a few times. The crowd went silent, holding its breath, until Trinity picked herself up and started laughing. A cowboy rushed over and lifted her by the waist over the barrier and into Cede’s waiting arms. 

Carmen barreled into her, wrapping her in a hug. "You did amazing!"

"Well folks, a terrific effort by Miss Merrill, a whole second and a half. Not bad at all." The announcer paused and looked around. "Do we have any more challengers?"

I shrunk away, hoping someone else would step up. Next to me Ash removed her hat and waved it over her head. "Over here!" She gestured to me. "This one here!"

"Looks like we have one more." He beckoned me into the ring.

"SHE'S FROM NEW YORK!" I heard Jordyn yell.

The announcer froze and a broad grin appeared on his face. "Folks, it seems like we have a CITEEEEEY SLICKARRR!"

The crowd went crazy as I slipped out of my converse, using Ash’s shoulder for support. "I hate you right now."

The brunette smirked. "No, you don't." She leaned in, whispering in my ear, "Alright Kitten, the trick is it's all in the hips. Just roll with it."

"Kind of like a pole dancer?"

"I have no clue so, I guess?"

"I'll have to show you sometime."

Hazel eyes went wide. "You know how to do that?"

I gave a shrug before hopping over the barrier followed by the cowgirl. With Ash’s help, I climbed onto the bull as she gave me some more tips. "Sit as close to the hump as you can and don't grip with your legs." She handed me the frayed bit of rope and I understood why everyone's hands were so calloused. "Hold on to this but don't be wrapping it around your hand. Don't want you losing any fingers now, do we?"

The cowgirl gave me a thumbs up before retreating back to the barrier. I took a deep breath as Broccoli let out a hiss. As the mechanical creature began to dip I rolled my hips with it. As it reared back up I rolled my hips again. I felt a vibration on the left just before it swung to the right. The bull bucked up again and as it continued I began to find a rhythm, relaxing into the motions rather than fighting it.

The movements reminded me of certain things and a dirty thought popped into my head involving a certain cowgirl. Losing my concentration, I lost my rhythm. Broccoli reared up in a twist before sharply bucking back down. I flipped over his shoulders and landed on the padding. Laying on my back, I started laughing as Ash tried to help me to my feet and the crowd cheered. 

"Holy hell, Kitten!" Ash shouted over the noise. "You really do know how to use them hips!"

I felt heat creep up my neck as I finally got up to my feet and the announcer shouted into the mic, "Just over three seconds, folks. I'd watch out for that one, she might just come after a few people's titles."

After I climbed back over the barrier, I watched Cede slide in, boots discarded next to my converse and Ash’s boots. The remaining girls patted me on the back while the rest of the crowd quieted down. A man from somewhere in the back yelled unfairness as the rodeo star and the cowgirl talked to the announcer and the man behind the controls.

"What are they doing?"

"Who knows," Trinity said, sipping from her drink. "It's always the same bet but none of us have figured out what it is."

Carmen swung an arm around my shoulder, pulling me down to her level. "Maybe you could get it out of her? Work that charm of yours."

"What charm?"

Jordyn snorted into her drink and softly clapped me on the back. "Oh, you sweet summer child!"

Standing between the rodeo star and the cowgirl, as though it were a boxing match, the announcer got everyone's attention. "As everyone knows some people have been banned from entering the challenge, these two ladies among them, but that's not saying we can't have a bit of fun! So I present to you Littlecreek's very own golden girl, Mercedes Alston," the crowd cheered as Cede gave a small wave, "and the one, the only, Coyote Bite, Ash Hartley!" The cowgirl stretched her arms behind her head with a confident smirk and the crowd got even louder. "They're going to take on Broccoli the Bull at full throttle! Whoever lasts the longest wins… whatever these two agreed on. So pick your contender, you get five minutes to place your bets."

The crowd dissipated some as people moved to make bets and get more drinks. 

"Hey, Carmen!" Miles shuffled over with a smile. Reaching the group he removed his hat, twisting it nervously in his hands.

The store clerk gave a wide smile. "Miles!" She wrapped the man in a hug causing his cheeks to flush and the rest of us to giggle at her tipsy antics.

"I was wondering if you could tip me in. I'd be mighty appreciative of it and there'll be a bit of something behind the bar for ya."

Letting him go, the woman stepped back, adjusting smeared glasses as she looked up at him. "Miles Russell, are you asking me to choose between two of my oldest friends?"

"Come on Carmen. I'll let you order whatever you want, within reason of course."

Standing up as straight as she could, she gave us a quick glance before poking the man in the chest. "They'vebothbeendrinkingbutHartley'sinashowyoffmoodandwonthewalletdraw!"

The brunette rushed off to the bar dragging the man behind her as Trinity and Jordyn yelled, "CARMEN!"

Trinity shook her head and turned back to her almost empty cocktail. "That boy always finds some excuse for there to be a bit of something behind the bar for her."

Jordyn shrugged, "She could do a lot worse. He's a good guy and he does know the things she likes."

"She could do a lot better too though." _Ash wasn't wrong when she said Trinity was smitten._

Said cowgirl ambled over and leaned on the barrier next to me. "Carmen run off with Miles again?"

"You sound like you're surprised," Trinity deadpanned as she downed the rest of her drink.

The cowgirl quirked her eyebrow at me, giving me her 'told you' look, before leaning up and whispering in my ear. "You ready to see some real hip action, Kitten?" As quickly as she was there she was gone with a wink. I felt my face heat up again as the announcer called for everyone's attention.

"I hope you've made your bets folks cause this is going to be a show!" Cede and Ash joined him in the center of the ring. He pulled something from his pocket and held it in his open hand as he turned to Cede. "Heads or tails?"

"Heads."

The coin flipped through the air, the light bouncing off of it, before being snatched as it tumbled down. "Heads it is."

The blonde got a wicked smirk. "I guess I'll give Hartley a chance and let her go first." 

The crowd released a collected OOOOH as Carmen returned with a tray of drinks. Handing them out, I chuckled as Trinity flapped her hands in a gimme motion like a toddler. Carmen handed one to Jordyn then to me, but I shook my head. 

"Ash isn't gonna take that," Jordyn said with a shake of her head. A grin formed around her straw as her eyes flickered to me. "I know one thing she is going to be taking though."

My whole face burned. "Fuck off!"

The three women broke into cackles of laughter as I took a sip from my unfinished drink, avoiding their gaze and focusing on the arena. Cede retreated to the side as Ash vaulted onto the bull easily despite her lack of height. A hush descended upon the crowd as the woman positioned herself. I found myself leaning forward eagerly as she signaled that she was ready.

"ARE YOU READY?"

Broccoli hissed as he was lowered and the crowd roared. "ONE!"

"Jordyn, five bucks on Hartley!" Trinity yelled.

"TWO!"

"You're on!"

"THREE!"

Broccoli let out a mighty bellow as he made his first dip and turn before bucking in earnest. Compared to earlier in the evening, the movements were brutal, enough to cause whiplash to the untrained or unskilled. The tiny cowgirl was all I could focus on as she rolled her hips in her tight, torn jeans in a fluidity that would put the aforementioned dancers in shame. Her toned stomach in clear view as she leaned back, moving in tandem with the bucking and rearing of the bull. He twisted and dipped, spinning faster in what seemed like erratic arcs as he tried to dislodge the rider. I bit down on my bottom lip as thoughts entered my head.

Around me, the crowd roared as the music intensified. Ash took off her hat, swinging it over her head in time with the bull's movements as he dipped damn near vertical. Suddenly hazel eyes locked with mine and I felt time freeze as she sent me another wink before spinning out of sight. I squeezed the barrier and cheered her on while Trinity and Carmen pounded on the padding like a drum as Broccoli reared up before coming crashing down with a loud bellow. Quickly rearing back up with a twist to the left he swiftly came back down again with a sharp bank to the right leading into a quick spin causing Ash to finally lose her grip and crash into the padding. 

The brunette scrambled to her feet and spun around to the clock that flashed on the wall. Everyone cheered as the announcer yelled, "6.58 SECONDS!" 

With a wave to the crowd, she scooped up her hat, dusted it off, and set it back on her disheveled brown hair before walking back over to us. She took a long drink from her beer before climbing back over the barrier and leaning on me. 

"I woulda lasted longer but I got a little distracted," she said through heavy breaths and rested her hand on my lower back.

Unlike Ash who has hopped right on, Cede took her time before finally climbing onto the bull and sliding into position. Jordyn yelled, "Come on Alston! Bring the money home!" 

"Y’all were placing bets on us? Rude," Ash joked with a raised eyebrow. 

Jordyn shrugged and opened her mouth but stopped when Broccoli gave another bellow and the music started up. As before he twisted and bucked erratically and Cede moved around just as Ash had. I tried to focus on the blonde but found myself distracted by the arm creeping around my waist and pulling me closer. I slid my own arm around the brunette's muscular back, my hand resting on her bare hip. Unlike her hands, her skin was smooth and soft to the touch. 

The spell over me was broken as Cede hit the padding and the announcer yelled, "6.52 seconds! Close but no cigar! Our winner is Coyote Bite!" 

The crowd cheered as Ash waved her hat in the air. With a smile, Cede came back, swinging her legs over the barrier, and stuck her hand out to the cowgirl. Ash took it before pulling her friend into a hug. Letting her go, the rodeo star looked around for a drink and I handed her the spare. 

After taking a long drink, downing half of it, she picked up her boots. "I don't know about you but I need to sit down!" She headed off to the table, barefoot across the floor with the others following.

Ash set her cowboy hat on my head with a grin as her hip gently bounced off mine. "I'm going to the bar to get something less alcoholic, would you like anything?"

Looking into her eyes I knew my answer would dictate how the rest of the evening would play out. Ash was giving me an opportunity to stop here. I considered leaning down and stealing a kiss but I caught a whiff of alcohol which cut through my haze. This was not the place. 

I hip checked her back. "A sprite please." She went to lead me off but I stopped. "I'll catch up. I need to go to the bathroom real quick."

With a nod, she disappeared into the crowd of people. I turned and made my way past another wall of pictures to the women's bathroom, welcomed by a waft of cool air. I beelined to the large mirror and looked myself over. I had worn dark blue skinny jeans and a black, high necked tank top. My lashes still held the mascara and my eyeliner could still be labeled as flawless along with the bit of eye shadow I had applied. Looking to the top of my head I smiled at Ash’s black cowboy hat which sat nicely on my blonde hair. I tilted it forward and something about it felt right. 

Coming out of the bathroom, another picture in the hallway caught my eye. This one depicting a group of five with a few familiar faces. There was a young version of Cooper’s dad, who I recognized from the picture he showed me, and he had an arm around a young Olivia who looked the happiest I had ever seen. Next to her stood Ash’s mom dressed black and blues with a giant smile on her face. The arm draped across her shoulders belonged to a scruffier version of Logan. The man had the same brown hair as both of the siblings along with the same crooked grin. Finally, furthest on the right, was a younger version of Ash’s dad, with messier blonde hair spilling from under his brown cowboy hat and a carefree look. I leaned forward to read the caption. 'Jacob Bennett, Olivia Taylor, Bailey Griffin, Brian Myers, Cody Hartley, 1990'

Deep in thought, I weaved my way through the people until I spotted Cede sitting alone at the table, pulling her boots back on. Taking a seat next to her, I found a cold Sprite sitting on the table for me. We fell into a comfortable silence as we watched the others dance along to the country song pouring from the speakers. Trinity, Jordyn, and Ash moved in perfect sync to the music while Carmen, unsurprisingly, did her own thing. Trinity spun, adding more flair than the others, but never missed a beat.

"Trinity’s really good."

Cede nodded while taking a sip from her drink. "She's always loved dancing. She even took ballet dances at the boarding school her dad sent her to but she's always preferred this."

That piece of information answered many questions that I had but didn't want to ask. My gaze caught Ash’s and she sent me her typical crooked grin. The words tumbled from my mouth faster than my brain could process. "Who's Brian Myers?" 

Cede choked on her drink. Blue eyes narrowed at me once she finished her coughing fit. Her usually happy features turned protective and hostile as she growled, "Where did you hear that name?"

"I just saw it on a picture over there. I swear." I felt my heartbeat quicken as the blonde stared me down. Cede was not a woman I wanted to cross. I knew, despite being at least five inches shorter than me, she could and would break me in half.

The rodeo star relaxed a little but there was still an edge to her voice that I never thought I'd hear much less be on the receiving end of. "We don't say that name around these parts. It ain't my story to tell, it's Ash’s. I wouldn't bring it up though. Let her do it, if she's ever ready to do so."

Jordyn flopped into a nearby chair and reached for her drink. "What ya talking about?"

As if the conversation never happened, Cede tilted her head with her usual cheerful tone. "I was telling Lexi that we might make a cowgirl of her yet!"

The barmaid narrowed her eyes before turning away. "I think we should be getting those two home soon."

All three of us watched as Trinity and Carmen waltzed around laughing their heads off while Ash did her best acting as a buffer, apologizing to the people the duo bumped into and stepped on. Carmen slipped, landing on her knees, pulling the accountant with her only for Ash to swoop in and catch her. With a shake of her head, the brunette tossed the tiny redhead over her shoulder and lifted Carmen to her feet, leading the taller woman back to the table with an arm around her waist. 

"I already messaged Cooper. He's on his way," Ash said as she passed Carmen off to Jordyn and set Trinity down, still keeping an arm around her. 

"Let's get them outside," Cede suggested. "I'll get the jackets."

It took us longer than it should have to get to the front door and outside in the fresh air. It took Cede two attempts to get Trinity into her jacket while Carmen yelled in refusal like a child. While I assured the redhead about the safety of her car, a battered blue pickup truck pulled into the parking lot beside us. The window rolled down to reveal the brown haired boy, his glasses reflecting the lights. I shook my head as Cede flushed at the sight of him.

"Y’all have a good time?" 

"These two sure as hell did," Ash said as she practically carried Trinity to the bed of the truck while Jordyn herded Carmen. I took up the rear with my arms full of purses and Carmen’s jacket. 

Using the tire as a step, the cowgirl climbed into the bed and opened the tailgate. She reached for the store clerk who struggled to get a knee up as Jordyn shoved her from behind. The girl fell flat in the bed and sprawled out in a fit of giggles. When it was Trinity’s turn, the redhead simply stuck her arms in the air like a child wanting to be picked up. With a roll of her eyes, Ash leaned down, hooked her hands under her armpits, and picked her up like it was nothing. 

As she got the two settled Jordyn turned to me. "Do you want to get in front?"

"I'll sit in the back. You have further to go."

The barmaid shrugged as she joined Cooper and Cede in the cab. I dumped the purses and jacket into the bed and looked up to find a pair of hazel eyes and a soft smile. 

She offered her hand to me. "Need some help, Kitten?"

I returned the smile and took her hand. As I was lifted up, I managed to hook a knee on the bed and shuffled forward while Ash closed the tailgate. 

Carmen and Trinity were propped up against the back of the cab, leaning on each other as they whispered and giggled. The cowgirl slid across the metal and took a seat leaning against the side panel. Patting the space beside her, she looked to me. I crawled over and slid in close as the brunette's arm wrapped around my shoulders. She banged on the side of the truck and it started forward, Cooper easing us onto the road. I nuzzled into her leather jacket as a thumb rubbed soft circles into my arm. 

"You know, the cowboy hat suits you," she whispered in my ear causing my face to heat up.

The peace was broken by a series of loud gags and the sound of liquid hitting the asphalt. Ash rushed over to the other side of the truck bed and grabbed Trinity by the back of her jacket as she leaned over the side puking her guts out. The store clerk broke into a fit of laughter as the accountant shrunk against the side paneling, her head resting on her arm as Ash rubbed circles into her back.

"Think we overdid it a bit, Gremlin?" the brunette asked softly.

"Just a little car sick is all," the redhead groaned. 

For the rest of the ride, Ash stayed with the smaller woman, a hand on her back, murmuring soft words. I watched as the moonlight glistened off a tear that rolled down a pale cheek and Carmen shuffled closer, wrapping herself around her friend. It reminded me of just how close this group really was and how they all welcomed me with open arms. 

The truck slowed and I was surprised to find we had already reached Main Street. Spotting the General Store, a ripple of nervous excitement passed through me. 

As the truck came to a stop, the engine idling, the cowgirl spoke gently, "Are you guys going to be okay?"

Trinity gave a sad little nod as Carmen waved her away. "We'll be fine. I've got her. We're gonna go have some sopapillas and a lot of water. Right, Gremlin?"

Trinity gave another nod as Ash draped Carmen’s jacket over her. "I'll see you guys tomorrow then."

Ash vaulted over the side and turned with outstretched arms. Sitting on the side of the truck, I swung my legs over, Ash helping ease me to the ground before she walked to the driver's side window.

"Be careful okay? I'll see you tomorrow." 

Both of the women gave me a small wave and I turned, watching Ash give Cooper a quick fistbump before stepping back. The truck slowly pulled away and headed further down the street before making a left. 

Ash ambled over to me, her hands in her pockets, and I began rummaging through my purse in search of my keys. Wrapping my fingers around them, I moved towards my door as Ash followed me. 

"Do you think they'll be okay?"

"They'll be fine. Trust me, they've been through worse." 

When we reached the door, Ash took her hands from her pockets and crossed them over her chest as she leaned against the brick wall. My stomach did a flip and I fumbled with my keys, struggling to get the right key into the lock. I finally got the door to swing open and I walked down the small hallway, past the side door to Atreya's Art Supplies. The door behind me closed and I heard the click of the lock as I turned at the bottom of the stairs. Ash ambled past, coming to a stop two steps up and turning around. She plucked the hat from my head and set it back on her own with a grin. Resting her arms on my shoulders, she leaned forward enough so our noses brushed, her breath on my lips. Done with waiting, I grabbed her waist and leaned forward, finally locking our lips in a kiss.

It was soft with uncertainty and newness. She tasted like sugar and peppermint with a hint of cherry from her chapstick. Everything felt right in that moment. 

Ash pulled back, her arms moving to my waist, but I didn't want it to end. I moved my own arms to her shoulders, one hand cupping the side of her face, coaxing the brunette to come back. 

When she did there was even more energy. A shiver traveled down my spine as the cowgirl nipped my bottom lip. I ran my tongue across her lips and was delighted when she granted me access. 

Eventually, we pulled back to breathe and I stared at her now kiss swollen lips. "Upstairs."

She gave me a nod and stepped to the side letting me through. I reluctantly slipped from her grasp and made my way up the stairs. I fumbled with my keys again, hyper aware of the woman standing next to me. Finally, I got the key to slide in and, with a click, the door opened. 

Inside, I shrugged off my jacket, hanging it on the old wooden coat rack, before kicking off my converse. Ash followed me in and looked around with her hands back in her jacket pockets. I flicked on the light which bathed the room in a warm orange glow.

The door opened into an L shaped room with a living area to the left and a kitchen straight ahead. There was a small bathroom to the left of the kitchen and a bedroom next to that. A large window showed the street below and a few unpacked bags sat in the corner. Not needing them, the last occupant left me most of the furniture. 

Ash walked over and leaned against the kitchen counter. "For as long as Jordyn lived here I've never actually been inside."

"Really?"

The brunette nodded. "How long have you been here?"

"Officially, since yesterday. Unofficially, the past two and a half weeks. Jordyn was letting me crash on the couch once I decided I was going to stay."

"Cool."

I caught the cowgirl's eye and realization struck me like a truck. Again. I was so set on getting the perfect outfit for tonight that I left my bedroom a disaster. 

"Uh, give me a sec. Make yourself at home."

Trying to appear calm, I made my way to the bedroom where, safe being the closed door, I started dashing around in a frantic rush. I shoved most of my clothes into the dresser and the rest into the backpacks that I had laying around. I straightened the blankets on my bed and was thankful I made the decision of changing the sheets this morning. 

As I reached for my phone charger, something under the bed caught my attention. It was the oversized dress shirt that used to be my dad's which I often slept in. Pulling it out, I was struck with an idea. Hurriedly, I stripped to my underwear and slipped into the shirt, only buttoning the bottom few. After giving myself a dorky thumbs up in the mirror, I took a deep breath to steel my confidence and opened the door.

Stepping back into the main room, I leaned against the door frame. My heart fluttered once I noticed the cowgirl had hung up her jacket with mine and discarded her boots next to my shoes. I couldn't help but smile at the simple domesticity of it. 

As for the brunette, she was sitting on the couch flipping through my copy of Inconvenient Attachment. I gave a small cough and Ash looked up, her hazel eyes going wide. She set the book down on the coffee table as I made my way over. 

Placing my legs on either side of hers, I lowered myself onto her lap. Calloused hands grazed my thighs before resting on my waist. I laid one arm across her shoulder and, with my other hand, plucked her hat from her head, resting it on mine before gently tilting her head back with a finger curled under her chin. 

Leaning down, I claimed her lips again. The cowgirl let me take the lead as our tongues slipped together. There was no competition, instead, a mutual need to be close. I felt one of her arms wiggle its way under me while the other wrapped around my back pulling me closer. 

As we pulled apart for air, Ash asked, her voice husky, "Would you like to continue this elsewhere?"

\-----

I woke up with my face squished into my pillow and blinked at the light that shone through the half closed curtains. For a moment, I found myself disoriented thanks to the different room until the memories of the previous night trickled back. I recognized the weight of an arm that rested over my hip and released a content hum as it pulled me closer. A nose nuzzled into my hair and a warm breath tickled my neck. 

"G'morning sleepy."

I rolled onto my back and found Ash propped up on one elbow with her hair more disheveled than usual. Her hazel eyes gazed down at me softly with a matching grin. 

"Hey." My voice was groggy. "What time is it?"

Ash scanned the room before focusing on the window, her eyes narrowed. "A little after nine I think."

"You didn't even look at your phone!"

"I don't need to!"

"How do you know that?"

She gave a one shouldered shrug. "I just do."

I narrowed my eyes before grabbing my phone off the nightstand. Fumbling with it for a moment, I turned it on and sure as shit '9:06' winked back. With a groan, I flopped back down onto the mattress.

"Who the hell gets up this early?"

The bed dipped and the sheets rustled as Ash moved closer. I felt soft lips press to my shoulder.

"Some might say the day is already half over."

It dawned on me how different our worlds were. "How long have you been up?"

Her arm slipped back around my waist as she rested her head on my shoulder. She spoke softly. "A while, but I don't mind."

I turned to face her and smiled as we met in a lazy kiss. After a moment we pulled back, my eyes flickering to her lips. One hand came up to cup her face, my thumb grazing over the scar that stretched down her bottom lip while my other hand ran down Ash’s right arm.

"Can I ask you something?"

The cowgirl took a deep breath. "When I was seven, I was out playing in the yard after dinner. I was sitting there in the dirt with my brand new action figure when a coyote came out of nowhere. It kept biting and scratching me and the damn thing even tried to drag me away. I was screaming my head off so my parents came running out of the house. We had these two huge dogs at the time who fought it off. My parents rushed me into town where Dr. Lewis patched me up before taking me to the hospital where I had to get some rabies shots since they weren't sure if it had it. I don't even remember how many stitches I ended up getting."

"Wow. What happened to the coyote?"

"While we were heading to the hospital my uncle went up and tracked it down. It ended up not being rabid. Now it's mounted and on display in the library."

"Wow." I ran my thumb over her cheek. "Wait, that's why everyone jokes about coyotes and calls you Coyote Bite and stuff?"

She gave me a smile. "Yup. In this town, you typically become known for one thing and that's what I'm known for. A lot of people call me Coyote Bite or Coyote Attack or even just Coyote."

"I guess I'll always be City Girl then?" 

Something sparkled in her eyes as she pressed her forehead to mine. "Always." 

Our moment was broken as a loud gurgle erupted from my stomach. We both froze, heat creeping up my face. Ash pulled away and started laughing. 

"Sounds like you need some food. Come on Kitten."

I let out a groan as the cowgirl swung her legs from under the covers and stood up, arms stretching over her head. I couldn't help but stare at the body before me on full display. Ash caught my gaze and sent me her trademark crooked grin as she ran a hand through brown hair. I watched as she walked to the end of the bed and gently wrapped her calloused hands around my ankles, mischief in her eyes. Suddenly, I was pulled down the bed towards the small woman as I broke into giggles. 

"You need food!"

Sitting up, I rested my arms on her shoulders and gave her another kiss. "Fine."

Taking my hand, she pulled me to my feet and to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, I remembered I had yet to buy any food. I fully intended to get some from the General Store after work but I was so focused on what I was going to wear that it slipped my mind. Most of the time I grabbed a bite before or during my shift at the diner anyway. 

"Welp, the diner it is then,” Ash said with a nod of her head

It took us longer than it should of to get cleaned up and looking presentable. Both of us kept getting distracted by each other doing simple things such as slipping on our clothes and stealing the occasional kiss or touch. The two of us managed to squeeze into my small bathroom, Ash, being the shorter one, stood in front as we brushed our teeth and hair. 

After grabbing my purse and keys from my bedroom, I walked into the main room with a smile. Ash stood waiting for me in her black leather jacket, cowboy boots, and hat with her sunglasses hanging in the V of her tank top. I slipped on my trusty converse and joined her.

Before I could open the door Ash stopped me. On her toes, the cowgirl leaned up pressing a kiss to my lips. I leaned down into her, my hand grasping leather. When the brunette pulled away, I was left breathless. 

"I wanted to do that because I don't know when I'll get a chance again." Panic flooded through me and my thoughts started to run rampant. "It's just, most of the people in this town don’t care but there are some that are stuck in their ways and I don't want them knowing my business." 

I realized that whatever was going on between us, would play out much differently than it would if we were in New York. 

As we stepped out onto Main Street, we were greeted by a bark of an old woman. "Hartley!"

Ash turned to the voice, keeping her own polite, "Ms. Karr."

Over her shoulder I watched the old woman walk over to us. She was no taller than Trinity with curled gray hair and sharp blue eyes. I have often seen her verbally sparring with Abuela Padilla so I knew how she could be.

"You better tell that brother of yours to watch what he's doing on that dirt bike or else I'll be calling Sheriff Foster on him!"

"Yes, Ms. Karr."

"And if I recall your library books are due tomorrow. I will not tolerate tardiness young lady!"

"Yes, Ms. Karr. I'll get them to you first thing tomorrow morning."

The woman scowled at us for a long second before pushing past and heading on her way. Unable to hold it back any more we broke into a fit of laughter. I leaned against the brick wall while Ash held on to my arm.

"What a battle axe," I joked as we got our laughter under control. 

"You have no idea. All the kids say she has dentures because she has a stick so far up her ass it knocked all her teeth out." 

After another bout of laughter, Ash slipped on her glasses, hiding the pair of hazel eyes I've come to adore. With a shake of my head, I moved my own sunglasses from the top of my head to the bridge of my nose. We made our way to the diner in a comfortable silence, playfully bumping our hips off of each other's from time to time with matching smiles. 

Stepping into the diner I was thankful for the AC. Having been here for just over two weeks, I still wasn't used to the Kansas sunshine. Hearing the bell jingle, Jason leaned out from the kitchen. 

"Good morning Jason!" I called while Ash gave her uncle a wave. 

"Good morning girls. You're just in time if you want some breakfast. I was just about to switch over."

Further back in the kitchen came a distinct yell, "Oooo, is that Lexi?"

Jason's reply was lost as he disappeared from view. The diner was empty with the breakfast rush having ended a while ago. I followed Ash to the large corner booth and we both slid around the circular table, ending up next to each other. I slipped my glasses back to the top of my head as calloused fingers wrapped around mine under the table. 

As we read through the menu, Olivia made her way over with a tray of mugs and a pot of coffee in hand. "Good morning City Girl. How's the head today?"

"Good."

"Little Red and Trouble not with you?" She was fishing with a kind smile as her bait.

I pulled out my phone and gave it a quick glance. "They said they're on their way."

Olivia yelled over her shoulder, "Jason, get the waffle maker ready!"

He leaned back out the window. "Carmen on her way?"

"Yup. You know how she is after a night on the town." She turned back to us. "Had quite the night I heard. Lasted three seconds on the bull, right City Girl?" I nodded sheepishly. "Not bad. As for you 'Yote Bait, only 6.58 seconds? I know you can do better than that!"

"I still won did I?" 

The woman's gaze flickered back and forth before landing on me. "That you did. Anyway, what can I get you two? Do you want something off the menu or some waffles and bacon like the others?"

We shared a look, coming to an unspoken agreement and Ash put the menu back. "Waffles are fine." 

As Olivia hurried back off and began wiping down the counter. Minutes later the bell jingled and Carmen walked in with a groan. 

"MRS BEEENNEEEEETT!"

I watched as the store keep shuffled over to the counter. "Jesus Christ, Carmen. You stink like a brewery."

"I need waffles."

"They'll be right out Carmen," Jason called from the back. 

"You go sit with your friends now."

"THANK YOU JASON!" she yelled before walking over to us. 

"Can we please stop with the yelling?" Trinity asked in a quiet voice as she walked in with Cooper close behind. She wore an oversized red shirt with a dancing Snoopy on the front with rolled up yoga pants and bright pink slip on vans. Her eyes were hidden by large sunglasses and her rust colored hair was in a messy braid. She shuffled past Carmen and took a seat before flopping onto the table.

"Kill me now."

I stroked the accountant's hair as Cooper slipped in next to Ash chuckling, "As I recall, that's the statement that started the whole fiasco."

Ash leaned over the table and poked the redhead in the shoulder. "Are we a little delicate this morning, Gremlin?"

"Hartley, I will not hesitate to kill you."

Small hands patted the table in search of coffee before Cooper helped by pushing a mug to her. She sat up and took a sip, closing her eyes in content while Carmen slid in next to her. Next to me, Ash turned to Cooper with a wicked grin.

"So, where's Cede?"

The man's face flushed as he hid behind his own mug of coffee. "She's, uh, still sleeping."

Carmen got her own wicked smile. "Y'all were pretty loud last night. I didn't realize she was going to stay with you."

He turned an even darker shade of red as Olivia called, "Cooper! Lexi! Come give me a hand."

Cooper practically ran to his mom as I slid over Ash’s lap to get out. As I walked behind the counter the bell jingled again and I smiled as Jordyn walked in. Locking eyes with me her smile turned devilish. 

"How did last night go?"

I tried to set my features to neutral as I replied, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

She beckoned me closer so I leaned across the counter allowing her to whisper in my ear. "How come there's a hickey on your neck then?"

I spun around and began checking my reflection in the coffee maker, turning my head this way and that to get a good look at my neck. The barmaid cackled as she slapped the counter. 

"I fucking knew it! You can't hide shit from me City Girl!"

She moved towards the table and I scrambled to grab the plates of waffles and bacon. I watched as she leaned down at the booth and whispered to Trinity and Carmen. I hurried over with Cooper following behind as she slipped in the booth next to a bouncing Carmen.

"That'll be ten bucks!"

"How about I just pay for breakfast?" the redhead groaned, her fingers rubbing her temples.

I set the plates down and caught Ash’s eye. "I swear I didn't say anything!"

Ash took a sip from her mug before shrugging. "I guess the cat's out of the bag."

I slid back into the booth as close to Ash as I could get, besides climbing into her lap, while Cooper served the rest of the plates before taking a seat next to me. An arm slipped around my waist as everyone joked about last night's antics and ate their waffles.

As I sat in that 1950's style diner, surrounded by a barmaid who had a rough start, a rowdy store clerk who loved to party, a tiny accountant set on forging her own path, a fire prone waiter who always had his friend's backs, a caring rodeo star who was there in spirit, and a cowgirl who was small in size but big spirit, I finally understood what was calling to me. What was screaming at me. It was a feeling I hadn't felt since I was young. As I nuzzled into Ash’s shoulder I found the word for it.

Home.

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

"I'm heading out!" I yelled as I walked through the swinging door and out of the diner's kitchen. 

Jason leaned out of the window. "Have fun and be careful. My niece has a bad habit of being too sure of herself." 

"Will do." I walked around the counter, pausing to ruffle Cruz's hair who giggled as he shoved my hand away. "Don't forget to annoy Cooper for me okay?"

"I will!" The nine year old waved as I walked out the door. 

It had been three months since I fled New York. It had been six weeks since my car broke down and I was found on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere Kansas. It had been one month since I realized this little town was the home I was looking for. 

As I approached the General Store, I smiled at the familiar red pickup truck that sat out front. Hurrying up to my apartment, I opened the door to find a pair of cowboy boots discarded next to the doorway and a black cowboy hat hanging off the coat rack. Stepping further into the apartment, I located their owner laying across the couch with a book held above her.

"Have you been here long?"

"Not really. I dropped off the eggs and decided I'd let myself in. I didn't realize you like comic books."

"Scott Pilgrim is not just a comic book." 

She moved to sit up. "I know. I haven't gotten very far yet but it seems cool. I’m more of a Mutant Guard fan, though.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Is that surprising?”

“I don’t know. I guess I just assumed you didn’t know them.”

“Hey. Just because I live in the middle of nowhere doesn’t mean I don’t know my pop culture. Cooper and I can’t wait for the movie coming in a couple of months.” She set the book down on the coffee table and got to her feet. “Anyway, are you ready to go?"

I had gotten tomorrow off and Ash asked if I wanted to spend it up at the farm. Curious about how my girlfriend, that word still made my heart pound, lived I agreed. 

"Yup." I gestured to the two backpacks near the bedroom door. "You don't mind me bringing along my camera do you?"

"Not at all. Something tells me you'll be taking a bunch of pictures." The brunette wrapped an arm around me as she grabbed the larger of the two backpacks. 

After making sure I had everything, I followed Ash outside where she set my backpack in the bed of the truck. I slipped through the passenger side door and set my camera bag on the floor. Ash climbed in and started the engine. 

"Ya ready City Girl?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

As we drove down the dirt road out of town, a wave of calmness washed over me. Sitting in that truck, listening to the country music, everything felt right. 

\-----

"Welcome to Burn Scar Ranch," Ash said as she drove us through the front gate.

"Burn Scar Ranch?"

"Yup. A long time ago a fire swept through here burning down all the farms and stuff. Well, the people who owned this ranch lost everything and ended up selling the land to my great, great, great grandpa. He rebuilt the house and the barn, started growing everything, and named it Burn Scar Ranch."

"That's really cool."

The brunette nodded as we stopped in front of the house. It was a rather large two story farmhouse right out of the history books. Just behind it was a large red barn and a large garage. As I got out of the truck I was greeted by a golden retriever and a border collie, both of who were barking and wagging around.

"Neapolitan, Pac-Man, get over here," Ash called and the dogs zoomed around the truck. She laughed. "Y'all go inside."

"So this is it," I said looking at the house. The house was in better shape than I pictured it to be. It was painted a cobalt blue with white trim. The wooden porch was clean and complete with a bench, two small tables, and a boot scraper. 

Ash grabbed my bag from the bed and walked over. "Yup. It doesn't look like much yet but wait till you get a look around."

I followed her through the front door. To my right was a stairway, to my left was a sitting room, and straight ahead was a hallway with a large cabinet. Curious, I walked over and looked inside. It was full of trophies, ribbons, medals, and pictures. The group picture I had found at Tipsy Cow was hidden in the back, behind another group picture. It showed Cede with her left arm wrapped around Cooper who had one arm resting on her shoulders and the other one on Ash’s. The small brunette had her crooked grin and a hand on her hip. Next to her was Carmen who had a flustered Trinity wrapped in a hug. 

"We took that picture a few years ago when we were eighteen. It was the first year Cede and I participated in the rodeo. I didn't win anything that year," Ash said as she stood next to me.

"How about after that?"

"Those are mine." She pointed to a few of the barrel racing trophies. 

"Wow. Your family is really talented."

Ash shrugged. "I guess. It's not about winning for us though. We just have fun. If we pick up some awards along the way then that's cool too."

She led me up the stairs and to one of the bedrooms. It wasn't big but it was certainly lived in. There was a full sized bed tucked into the corner with a nightstand and a small desk tucked into the other across from it. The walls were covered in posters and drawings while the shelves held figures and knickknacks. 

"This is _your_ room?"

"Yup. I figured you could stay in here with me unless you'd rather take one of the guest rooms."

"This is fine." I set my camera bag on the bed and walked over to her desk where I found an open sketchbook. On it was a drawing of Neapolitan. "This is amazing. I didn't know you drew."

"Just another talent I picked up from my mom." She set my bag down next to the closet before walking over. Strong arms wrapped around my waist and I felt her face nuzzle into my back. "What would you like to do?"

"Why don't you show me around?"

I felt her nod and I turned back to my camera bag. After I retrieved my camera, slinging it over my shoulder, Ash let go and led me back downstairs. She pulled me down the hall, past the kitchen and living room, and out the back door into the yard. 

"The garage is over there." Ash gestured to the large building to the right. "We keep the tractors, trucks, and other equipment in there. Then you've got the barn where we keep the animals."

I followed her to the barn. There were stalls on both sides and a giant loft on the far side with piles of hay. As we walked in a beautiful white horse stepped forward and shook its head.

"Do you have any experience with horses?" I shook my head. Ash grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me towards the horse. Stopping in front of the door she let go and started petting it. "This is my mom's horse. Her name is Zero. She's a sweetheart, aren't ya girl?"

I smiled as Zero nuzzled into Ash’s shoulder. I held up my hand. "Can I?"

"Yeah." She took my hand and guided it to Zero's muzzle. The horse nuzzled into it and I moved my other hand to her neck. "Told ya she's a sweetheart. Maybe we can go for a ride sometime if you're up for it."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You can ride her while I take Theory."

My eyes widened in surprise. "You'd let me ride your mom's horse?"

"If you'd like to."

"That would be cool."

"Cool. We can do that tomorrow." She stepped away. "Wanna see the pigs?"

"Yes! Now I can see what these pig kisses are all about."

She grabbed my hand and pulled me to the other side of the barn. "We've got two pig pens. This one has all the piglets that we'll sell."

I leaned down and looked in to find a group of piglets come running over oinking like crazy. Ash leaned over the gate and picked one up. It was pink with black spots. 

"Oh my god. It's so cute!" I reached my hand out and ran it along its back.

"Do you wanna hold her?"

The cowgirl handed her over, showing me how to hold her. "She's so light."

"Well, she is a baby. They'll be fully grown by the next auction and that's when we'll sell them. I'm trying to convince my dad to let me keep that one though. There's just something about her."

I giggled as the piglet started to oink at her. "It sounds like she agrees."

Ash put the piglet back and something caught my eye. There was a small tool room tucked into one of the corners near the front of the barn. The outer wall was covered in handprints. "What's that?"

"Oh. It's kind of like our family tree." She led me over and I took a closer look. It started on the left edge of the wall and moved towards the right. "My great great great grandpa thought it would be cool to record our family so he took some paint and left his handprint on the wall. Then my triple great grandma did the same, then each of their kids. When someone is born their hand is yellow. When they turn eighteen they put another one just under it in green. If that person becomes the owner of the farm then they put another one in blue."

I looked along the generations and paused at one labeled Bailey. A small yellow hand was under the name with a green hand under that, the fingers overlapping the previous print, followed by a blue one. A few inches below her mark was a purple hand. I could tell the red paint under it was fresher than elsewhere in the barn, as if something had been painted over, and I raised an eyebrow. Above the hand was the name Cody.

"When someone marries into the family they get a purple handprint. Once someone moves off the farm they stop with the handprints though. That's why Cruz doesn’t have his on here."

I nodded as I looked at the newer generation. Her cousin had no handprints, instead, there was a small yellow one for Logan and three for Ash. Unlike her mom's, the cowgirl's went yellow, blue, green.

Ash ran her fingers over her mark. "When my mom died I inherited the farm. Even though it was under my dad's name until I came of age I still left my mark."

I nodded solemnly. "It's a cool tradition. I don't think I've ever heard of a family doing something like that."

Ash nodded before leading me outside and around the barn. "Here are the other pigs. These are the ones that are part of the family. We have it so they can walk in and out of the barn as they please but they prefer to stay out here."

I leaned against the fence as she hopped over. Immediately all the pigs swarmed the cowgirl oinking loudly. "Which one is Chicken Legs?"

"This boy here." She pointed down at the brown one in front of her. "He was a runt so my mom fed him by hand. She ended up getting attached and so we kept him. Huh boy? Kisses!" Ash leaned down and he pressed his black snout to her cheek before pulling back, opening his mouth with a loud smack. 

I giggled. "He even made the noise!" 

The brunette looked up at me with a big smile and a muddy snout print on her cheek. "Yup! They all do that!" 

She took a seat in the dirt and giggled as another pig stepped up to give her another kiss on the other cheek. I felt my heart melt as I grabbed my camera.

After a moment, a black one left the others and walked over to me. They had a small pink triangle in the middle of their snout and a smile. I leaned down against the chicken wire and whispered, "Kisses."

With an oink, I felt them press their rubbery snout to my cheek. I giggled as they pulled away with a smack of their mouth. I looked up to find Ash smiling at me softly.

"So, was I right about piggy kisses?"

"You were. Piggy kisses are amazing." 

"There you are." I stood up and turned around to find Ash’s dad walking over. He leaned against the fence next to me. "You're brother's in town so you need to get Pork Chop."

"Logan had his date with Izzy tonight, huh?" Ash asked with a wicked smile.

Mr. Hartley pointed his thumb at me. "Like you really have room to talk. Just go get her."

"Fine," the cowgirl groaned. With oinks of protest, she extracted herself from the pigs and hopped back over the fence. "I'll be right back. Feel free to walk around and take pictures and stuff."

I watched as she gave a loud whistle as she hurried off into the barn. With Neopolitan at her side, she disappeared from sight.

"So you're that city girl I've heard so much about." I turned to Mr. Hartley who gave me a friendly smile.

"Yes sir."

"Call me Cody. All that sir and Mr. Hartley stuff makes me feel old. So what do you think of the farm so far?"

"It's really nice here. Ash said she'd take me on a horseback ride tomorrow."

Cody gave me a knowing look. "That's good to hear. Well, I'm gonna go get started on dinner. If you need anything feel free to ask."

"Thank you." I watched as he walked towards the house before I made my way back into the barn, camera in hand.

The rest of the day was very relaxed. Ash brought Pork Chop, the family's cow, back to the barn and the two of us joined Cody in the kitchen for dinner. We spent the rest of the evening in the yard around the fire pit. Despite Ash’s pleads, Cody recalled stories of her as a kid until Logan got home, at which point he became the center of attention. Eventually tired of our pestering about his date he went to bed followed shortly by Cody. Ash and I stayed out a little longer before also making our way inside and to her room.

"Get some good pictures?" Ash asked as she slipped on her tank top before taking a seat on the bed next to me.

I looked up from my laptop. "Yup. I'm just downloading them now so I can have an empty SD card for tomorrow."

"What do you do with them? Do you post them somewhere?"

"Oh, yeah. Sometimes I'm hired by a newspaper or a magazine to take some pictures for them but most of the time they just go on my website where I can sell prints and stuff."

"Really? That's cool."

I shrugged as I closed my laptop. After setting it on the desk and moving back to the bed, I laid down next to Ash. I couldn't help but smile as she pulled up the covers and wrapped an arm around me, holding me close.

"So what's the plan for tomorrow?" I asked wrapping my own arms around her.

"Well, I have some chores I have to do in the morning but those won't take long. After that I can teach you how to ride Zero and we can wander around fields if you'd like."

"Sounds great."

"Okay. Goodnight then Kitten."

\-----

The next morning I woke up to find Ash missing. I shuffled downstairs to find Cody in the kitchen, coffee in hand.

"Good morning Lexi. Sleep well?"

"I did. I forget how early you guys get up though."

Cody chuckled. "When you've got things to do what's the point of pushing it off? Ash should be finishing up with her chores soon anyway. There’s cereal in the pantry and milk in the fridge so make yourself at home."

“Thank you.” As Cody left the room, I made my way around the kitchen, making myself a bowl of cereal. 

\-----

As I cleaned my dishes, I heard the back door open and close, followed by a pair of footsteps making their way over.

“Good morning, Kitten. I assume you slept well.” A pair of arms wrapped around my waist. 

I turned around, resting my arms on Ash’s shoulders. “How’d you guess?”

“Considering you were dead to the world when I woke up.”

With a small laugh, I grabbed her hat and set it on my own head. Leaning down, I connected our lips feeling Ash smile against me.

After a moment, I pulled back giving the cowgirl a smirk. “Anywho, you promised to take me horseback riding. I’m gonna go get changed and we can go.”

Ash gave me a lopsided smile. “Yeah, okay. I’ll go get the horses ready. Meet me in the barn when you’re ready.”

I hurried upstairs to her room, changing into a pair of jeans, a white tank top, and the cowboy boots Ash helped me pick out the other day. With a glance in the mirror, I smiled at my reflection with a tip of Ash’s hat. _Maybe I would make a good cowgirl._

As I made my way back downstairs, I came across Logan in the living room. He looked me over before giving a small shake of his head.

“She gives me shit about Izzy but then lets you wear Mom’s hat,” he muttered with amusement as he walked into the kitchen.

Not quite sure what he was talking about, I hurried out the back door and to the barn. Inside I found Ash securing a saddle on Zero.

“There ya are, Kitten. Come on over.” I made my way to her, Zero turning her head to watch me. “I’m gonna finish this up then I’ll teach you how to ride. For now, just her smell you and stuff. She’s a sweetheart but it’s important she learns you're friendly.”

I held my hand out in front of the horse. After a moment, Zero nodded her head up to nudge my hand. I smiled as I ran my hand across her muzzle.

“See, she likes you already,” Ash smiled at me. “Now you gotta get up there. Just put your foot in the stirrup, hold onto the saddle, and up you go.” I followed her instructions, curling my hand around the saddle horn and placing my foot in the stirrup. “Good. Now use your arms to lift yourself up and swing your leg over.”

I did just that and found myself sitting in the saddle. I watched as Ash walked around, untying Zero and handing me the reins. 

“Okay. Pulling back on the reins will make her slow down. Pulling to the right makes her go right and left to go left. You don’t need to put a lot of force into it either. Then give her a squeeze with your legs to make her move and go faster.”

“Okay. That sounds… surprisingly simple.”

“Oh, it’s a lot more complicated than that but we’re just teaching you the basics,” Ash said with a small chuckle. “The more you ride the better you’ll get. For now, I’ll walk beside you, so just try to get her out of the barn.”

\-----

We spent the next half hour walking around the ring, making sure I got the basics before taking a break. I slid off Zero, letting her wander around while Ash disappeared into the barn. Not long after, she returned guiding a black horse who trotted along happily. 

“You ready to go on a real ride?” Ash asked, walking over to me and grabbing her hat back.

“Totally.”

Ash watched as I mounted Zero and handed me my camera before climbing onto her own horse. 

“You probably won’t have to do much. Zero will just keep pace with Theory. If we start going too fast or you feel uncomfortable or anything let me know, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Alrighty then. Off we go! Come on Theory.”

She gave me a big smile before guiding her horse out of the corral. With a smile of my own, I urged Zero to follow. 

We made our way down one of the trails on the property, Ash leading the way. Every so often she would point something out to me, telling me about some odd landmark, or which crop was growing nearby, or what a certain machine that we passed did. It was really peaceful and certainly beautiful. Once I became comfortable enough with Zero, I let go of the reins and started taking pictures with my camera.

Eventually, Ash brought Theory to a stop and I guided Zero to stop next to them. The cowgirl gave me a smile. “Have you ever been skinny dipping?” I shook my head with a quirked eyebrow and her grin widened. “Would you like to?”

“Where?”

“We have a pond up this way we used as a swimming hole.” She pointed to the grove of trees further along the trail. “We can spend the afternoon there if you’d like. I brought some towels and a picnic.”

My eyes followed her gesture to her saddlebags before looking back at her. “Sounds amazing.”

The cowgirl led the way to a rather large pond that was in the middle of those trees. She dismounted Theory before coming over to give me a hand. I watched as she pulled some things from her bags before letting the horses wander off some. 

As she organized things I snapped a picture of the pond. “So you guys swim here?”

“Yup. When my grandpa bought this place he planned out every inch of land. He thought it would be cool to have a pond for everyone to go swimming in during the summer and such so he dug it out and rerouted some of the water from the creek that runs through the property. He even planted a lot of these trees here so everything would be shaded.”

“Wow. That’s amazing.” I handed her my camera and watched as she stashed it with the food. 

“It is really impressive. But yeah. We’ve all learned to swim here.”

“You keep talking about swimming so come on.” I pulled my shirt over my head and giggled at Ash’s dopey grin. After shaking her head the brunette removed her hat followed by her own shirt. 

After we both stripped down, I looked around searching for my girlfriend who had disappeared amongst the trees. Suddenly I found her flying through the air, having jumped from a tree, and flipping into the water.

A moment passed before her head resurfaced with a smirk. “Are you coming or are you scared of water, Kitten?”

“Never.” 

With a running start, I leaped into the air and cannonballed into the pond. I resurfaced a few feet away from her and Ash quickly closed the distance. Before she reached me I swiped my arm causing a wall of water to hit her. 

She shook her head before giving me a faux look of betrayal as I laughed. “So _that’s_ how it’s going to be. Fine.”

She started coming at me again and I did my best to swim away. It didn’t take long for her to catch me though, grabbing me by the ankle and dragging me under. When I resurfaced her lips met mine and I smiled. 

_It’s hard to be scared when I’m with you._

\-----

“It really is beautiful here.” After playing around in the pond for a while and working up an appetite we both went back to shore and ate the lunch Ash had packed. Once we finished our meal, the cowgirl let me take some more pictures with her playing the role of model. Now we laid on our towels, half dressed and watching the clouds through the branches.

“It’s nice. I’ve spent plenty of summer days here with friends and all that growing up. Plenty of nights too. We’d build a little fire in the little clearing on the other side there and string our hammocks up.”

“This is so much different from New York.”

“Did you not like it there?”

“No, I did. It’s just this is such a nice change of pace.”

“If you liked it there then what made you leave?” I left hazel eyes on me.

“I… I left because my ex-boyfriend was _really_ controlling. I couldn’t break up with him without him getting angry so I told my roommates that I needed to leave and they helped me pack. The next day, when everyone was at work, I left… I bought a new sim card and disabled all of my social media accounts. I had no clue where I was going… I drove for about a month and a half before I broke down here.”

“Have you talked to them? Your roommates?”

“No. I guess I’m just scared that he’ll find me if I start talking to them again.”

“It’s been, what,” I watched her count on her fingers real quick, “about three months since you left. He sounds like the kind of guy who’d move on quick. I’m not gonna tell you what to do but it wouldn’t hurt to at least give them a call. You can even use my phone if you’d like.”

I stared up at the clouds. “I’ll think about it. It wouldn’t hurt to at least let them know I’m safe.”

Ash turned back to the sky. Her voice was soft and I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to hear. “At least you had a reason to leave.”

After a moment, I scooted closer to her, wrapping my hand around hers. “Ash, you know you can talk to me about anything right?”

She gave a small sigh and I looked to find her eyes closed. “You already know about my mom. She got sick when I was fourteen and died about a year later. What you probably don’t know is that… Cody isn't our biological dad.” Ash paused taking a deep breath. “His name is Brian Myers. When I was five my mom and I went into town. I spent the day playing with Carmen and Cede and we had stopped by the diner to get milkshakes. It… it was amazing. But when we got home… his truck was missing along with all of his clothes and stuff. I guess my mom found a note on the bed or something. After that Olivia, Jacob, and Cody showed up telling me and Cooper to play in the living room while they spent the night up in the bedroom with my mom. I guess something in him had finally snapped and he just up and left… I was five years old and my mom was three months pregnant with Logan and he just left… Cody ended up staying with us. He became my new dad and the only father figure Logan has ever known. Three years after that he married my mom and she changed her last name from Myers to Hartley along with mine."

I squeezed her hand, unsure what to say.

“But hey, it’s for the best.” I turned to find her smiling up at the sky, a genuine smile “Cody’s a better dad than Brian could ever be and I never saw Mom happier than when she was with him.” 

“Cody is pretty cool.” I turned back to the sky, watching as a cloud lazily floated by as a comfortable silence settled over us. 

After a minute or two Ash broke that silence. “What does love mean to you? Like how would you define it?”

I thought for a moment. “Respect and understanding I guess. Like you don’t have to agree on everything but if you can respect each other’s point of view then you can come to a compromise that works for both of you. And if you are understanding that your partner has other things going on and that perhaps you might not always be their top priority at the moment regardless of how much they want to change that. Communication and honesty are important too. What about you?”

“Kindness and loyalty. Being there for them no matter what and finding ways to help them with whatever they are dealing with even if it’s just doing little things to help brighten their day and lift their mood.”

“Well, Ash Hartley, I’ll have you know you are the kindest person I have ever met.” I looked to find the cowgirl giving me a soft expression.

“You’re pretty amazing yourself, Lexi Walsh.”

I shuffled closer, resting my head on her chest as her arm wrapped around me, tugging me closer to her. I felt her press a kiss to the top of my still damp hair. _You have no idea._

\-----

It hadn’t taken us long to drift off to sleep. Who knows how long we would have been there if it wasn’t for Zero walking over and sniffing at Ash’s face. Seeing it was almost sunset we started getting dressed and gathering our things. I watched my girlfriend chase her horse around, taking the occasional picture whenever I wasn’t in the middle of a laughing fit. Eventually, she managed to grab hold of Theory’s reins and we made our way back to the house. 

The rest of the night was much like the previous. After dinner, we sat in the yard around the fire pit sharing stories. I told them about New York while Cody shared stories about him growing up in Littlecreek. Eventually, the fire was put out and we all headed to bed. 

The next morning I woke up by myself again, Ash already up and doing her chores. Once she finished, as much as I didn’t want to, we headed back to town since I had to work the lunch shift at the diner.

That night I sat in my apartment staring at my phone with Ash’s words bouncing around in my head. _I’m sure he’s moved on by now and really what is he going to do?_ I really didn’t want to answer that question. _At least let them know you’re safe._

Taking a deep breath I pulled up one of their contacts and typed out a message only to delete it. I tried again and again but nothing seemed right. With a sigh, I decided I was overthinking it. I gave it one last try keeping it simple.

To Cydney 8:46 pm > Hey


End file.
